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Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona Blog

A Mother on a Mission to Reduce Brain Injury on College Campuses

For the past three years, Nanette Hausman has been driven to keep college students safe. It has since become a passion that consumes her every waking moment.

In the fall of 2018, her youngest son Corey had just ventured off to college in Colorado. This new phase of life seemed to suit him, and though he was 2,000 miles from home, he was adjusting quite well— enjoying his classes, constantly playing his guitar, making friends, and calling his folks to “check-in” every few days.

A mere two weeks in, however, the Hausmans’ home phone rang with devastating news— it was the emergency room nearest their son’s college. Corey had accidentally fallen off his skateboard while traveling on a sloping multi-use pedestrian pathway on the way to his friend’s dorm after dinner. It was likely his first time going through that section of campus. He hit his head against the hard concrete, was taken by ambulance to the local hospital, and was placed in a medically induced coma because he was able to speak but was resisting care. He was transferred to an associated facility where it was unclear if the highest level of trauma care (Trauma I) had been considered. Within hours, he passed away.

“Bottom line is, I never want any parent to get that phone call that we did. Especially if an injury can be prevented and they can be more prepared than we were.”

A Mother on a Mission to Reduce Brain Injury on College Campuses

For the past three years, Nanette Hausman has been driven to keep college students safe. It has since become a passion that consumes her every waking moment.

In the fall of 2018, her youngest son Corey had just ventured off to college in Colorado. This new phase of life seemed to suit him, and though he was 2,000 miles from home, he was adjusting quite well— enjoying his classes, constantly playing his guitar, making friends, and calling his folks to “check-in” every few days.

A mere two weeks in, however, the Hausmans’ home phone rang with devastating news— it was the emergency room nearest their son’s college. Corey had accidentally fallen off his skateboard while traveling on a sloping multi-use pedestrian pathway on the way to his friend’s dorm after dinner. It was likely his first time going through that section of campus. He hit his head against the hard concrete, was taken by ambulance to the local hospital, and was placed in a medically induced coma because he was able to speak but was resisting care. He was transferred to an associated facility where it was unclear if the highest level of trauma care (Trauma I) had been considered. Within hours, he passed away.

“Bottom line is, I never want any parent to get that phone call that we did. Especially if an injury can be prevented and they can be more prepared than we were.”

Nanette was understandably distraught, wondering how this unspeakable tragedy could occur—and so quickly! Corey was a very happy young man, a capable skier and skater, and was generally very careful. Now, due to a series of unfortunate events, his life was over. When working with a sympathetic representative from the college to remove Corey’s belongings and withdraw him from his classes, Nanette asked, “This process seems so routine; has this happened before?” It was then disclosed that his passing was the third student death at his college within the first 15 days of that semester.

“I couldn’t believe what had happened,” says Nanette. “Our whole family was devastated and remains impacted. Corey was the perfect ‘little bro’ to his older siblings and was his dad’s soulmate.”

Nanette feels Corey’s life may have been spared had there been better means of communication between schools and families available. She also discovered that serious accidents and deaths aren’t tracked or reported as events on each college’s publicly available Annual Security and Safety Report (Clery reporting), unless they are crime-or fire-related. This void in safety reporting is startling, as accidents are estimated to be, by far, the leading cause of college student death College Student Mortality Study.

The level of responsiveness exhibited by Corey’s college was hard for Nanette to digest but became easier to understand once this informational void was discovered. “We were not immediately notified of the on-campus accident,” she recalls. “In addition, five days after the accident, the college provided documented suggestions being considered to reduce the risk in the area where Corey fell and improve the physical safety of the problematic sidewalk for safety for their students and staff.”  When she recently visited the area (three years after the accident), it did not appear any physical improvements to the area had been made.

Carrie Collins-Fadell, a United States Brain Injury Alliance Board Member and CEO of the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona, noted that when it comes to tracking brain injury, there are areas ripe for improvement across the board. “Brain injury is handled differently from state-to-state,” says Collins-Fadell. “You can see how this can lead to inconsistencies in reporting, treatment, diagnosis, and services.”

She also noted that head injury data collected by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reveals a limited part of the problem. “The CDC only collects information on traumatic brain injury death or injury,” Carrie notes. “There is absolutely no data collected or tabulated on non-traumatic brain injuries like those caused by overdose, stroke, or chemical exposure.” Or, in other words, a data desert.

“Imagine writing a grant for brain injury prevention and you can’t even define the vastness of the problem to the funder. That’s what every day in advocacy for acquired brain injury prevention is like,” explains Carrie.

While the realities of the “data desert” are frustrating, the information that is available is sobering. A recent three-year study at the University of Colorado from JAMA Network Open revealed concussions are more than twice as prevalent among college students and are more likely to occur off the playing field. The Colorado-based study also found that among 300,000 undergraduates, roughly 340 concussions were reported and diagnosed annually, or about one-in-75 students per year. Excluding varsity athletes, 64% of these were not sports-related. Falls (e.g., slips on the ice, skateboard mishaps) accounted for 38% of the total.

It occurred to Nanette that there had to be a meaningful way to share Corey’s story and help others avoid a similar heartbreak. In response, she launched College911.net™, an initiative to save lives, improve safety in college communities, and prepare college-bound students and their families for medical emergencies in new ways. “Parents can investigate which hospital and the level of trauma care it provides is the typical destination for a student in crisis when 911 is called by them or on their behalf,” she shares.

The team Nanette has assembled created a simple Medical Emergency Checklist (College911.net™ Medical Emergency Checklist) with sections for parents and guardians, and includes key questions to be aware of, such as:

  • How will I be notified?
  • What are my medical rights once my child turns 18?
  • Where are the nearest hospitals and what are their levels of care?
  • How can I stay connected in an emergency?

There is also a checklist designed to assist students at least 18 years of age who are responsible for their own medical decisions. It provides details for how to:

  • Use a health app (available on most smartphones) to store personal medical records and emergency contacts.
  • Call 911 from the student in crisis’s phone so established emergency contacts are alerted.
  • Find out if rails are supplied for bunk or lofted beds in the dorms.
  • Ask the college which hospital students are usually taken to in an emergency.
  • Maintain healthcare records, establish a healthcare Power of Attorney, and keep emergency contacts up-to-date.

When it comes to long-lasting systemic changes, Collins-Fadell is hopeful. She was an Advocacy Director at the American Heart Association when protocol was issued around designated stroke centers. She traveled through North and South Dakota, working with hospitals and emergency medical personnel to increase their resources and understand protocols. “Designated stroke centers meant there were certain hospitals with a team of experts who could be quickly assembled for care. Ambulances were then directed to bypass hospitals that were not centers of excellence and head for a designated stroke center if time allowed,” explains Collins-Fadell. “I am hopeful that with some hard work, we’ll see the same for head injury so that everyone is getting the best possible care.”

The Brain Injury Alliance also urges those who have previously survived a brain injury, such as a concussion, to be extra careful when in new environments or engaging in unfamiliar activities. “Between constantly moving around, changing schedules, and newfound freedom, it’s advisable for incoming college students to exercise caution,” says Brittany Sweeney-Lawson, Program Manager for the Brain Injury Alliance. “Research shows survivors of mild traumatic brain injuries like concussions are 3x more likely to sustain a second one, and it goes up exponentially from there. So, awareness is key,” she emphasizes.

Nanette couldn’t agree more. “Bottom line is, I never want any parent to get that phone call that we did,” she says. “Especially if an injury can be prevented and they can be more prepared than we were.”

 

Below are links to other organizations led by parents who either lost children or whose children were permanently impacted by accidents, including TBIs, that were sustained while attending college.

RailAgainstTheDanger

ProtectStudentsAbroad

RachaelsFirstWeek

AwareAwakeAlive

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

  • Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
  • Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
  • Hosts Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Workgroup
  • Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
  • Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
  • Manages statewide Neuro Info-Line: 888-500-9165

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