The 25-year-old brain injury survivor is representing her hometown of Gilbert, AZ as Miss Gilbert, the first step to hopefully being crowned Miss America later this year. “I’m proud of the strides I’ve made, and I want others with brain injury to understand there’s always hope,” beams Danielle. “You can really make a difference in your life once you realize you can.”

Veteran With Brain Injury Now Competing For Miss America Title

On the surface, Danielle Skranak seems to be living the American Dream. For the past four years, she has been a paralegal; for the past six months, the Army veteran has been Program Coordinator for the Arizona Foundation for Women. In addition to helping women and children create better lives for themselves, the reigning Miss Gilbert (AZ) is in the running for the 100th Miss America competition.  

But the story behind the story runs much deeper.

The 25-year-old brain injury survivor is representing her hometown of Gilbert, AZ as Miss Gilbert, the first step to hopefully being crowned Miss America later this year. “I’m proud of the strides I’ve made, and I want others with brain injury to understand there’s always hope,” beams Danielle. “You can really make a difference in your life once you realize you can.”

The eldest of five children, Danielle led a very active high school career, running cross country and track. She passed up college scholarships to follow her father’s footsteps and join the Army as an enlisted Military Police solider.

In her second week of basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood (Missouri), her life changed in an instant. She was carrying 40 pounds of gear as was the recruit in front of her. He dropped his gear, knocking her off balance, and she fell headfirst onto the hard concrete.

In 2014, the accepted wisdom among the sergeants was to shake off a head injury by sleeping it off and staying quiet in a dark room. Three days later, she was still in pain and finally made her way to the ER, where an MRI and CT scan revealed she had contusions on her brain.

Army doctors prescribed amitriptyline and she was sent on her way. Suffering from long- and short-term memory, as well as aphasia (inability to remember words), she somehow managed to finish basic training.

Four months later, she was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth (Kansas), working inside the prison. One night while on shift, she passed out, losing her hearing and eyesight. At the hospital, her dosage was increased, and she was later medically discharged from the Army.

Separated from the service, she didn’t know where to turn. However, she wasn’t prepared for the uphill battle. “The Army really didn’t help me transition to the civilian world. You know, we have no personal responsibility and are not encouraged or seek outside help. It was viewed as a weakness.”

Danielle cites fellow enlistees who had been bullied for seeking help to treat their brain injuries. “These invisible disabilities were debilitating,” she says. “Instead of referring these troops to programs, they were told to ‘Be a leader, be on your own.’”

She also felt resentment from others who didn’t believe she had a brain injury; instead, many thought she was trying to get out of work, specifically overnight shifts at the prison. “The stigma is the biggest thing to overcome. And when you’re a woman, it’s even tougher. You can’t show vulnerabilities.” She soon left the job and looked for something else.

Living in Kansas City and working as a dietitian’s aide, she found herself in an abusive relationship with nowhere to turn. “One night I thought I would die; I was hanging out of the window screaming for help. When the police showed up to arrest him, I was so embarrassed. How could I go from working in a military prison complex where I walked among criminals, studying them, to being in a domestically violent relationship myself? I honestly didn’t know what to do next. I just remember feeling very lost.”

Fortunately, Friends in Service of Heroes (FISH) discovered her plight and helped her get basic living supplies, including food and furniture. To this day, she remains active with the organization that helps disabled veterans overcome the unique challenges they face, especially those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But Danielle’s journey was just beginning – she had to find a way to support herself and build a career. She met an attorney, Elizabeth Brown, who had experienced similar tragedies and took her under her wing, training her to become a paralegal. Almost overnight, Danielle was making a substantial income and had her own apartment. Now, Danielle, works with the Gilbert mayor as a liaison for local veteran issues.

In 2018, and off medication, an amazing thing happened: both her short- and long-term memories started flooding back. As she explains, “It’s not like all was blank, it was more like a dream. Now I feel normal because I can relate to family stories and events. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but you know what they say about each brain injury being like nobody else’s.”

Today, Danielle is the Young Professional Program Coordinator for the Arizona Foundation for Women, helping make a difference in the lives of women.

She also urges veterans to tell their stories, encouraging those who have served to join support groups at the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona, where she’s involved with veterans and women’s groups. She says the healing can begin even before joining. “Writing every day in a journal is a great way for you to see how far you’ve come. It’s like looking at ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures.”

Speaking of “after” pictures, the 25-year-old is representing her hometown of Gilbert, AZ as Miss Gilbert, the first step to hopefully being crowned Miss America later this year. “I’m proud of the strides I’ve made, and I want others with brain injury to understand there’s always hope,” beams Danielle. “You can really make a difference in your life once you realize you can.”

Janice Podzimek, Certified Brain Injury Specialist trained in domestic violence advocacy, echoes that concern. “Incidents of violence against women in the military, including allegations of sexual assault, have led to increased awareness of this issue. The process of dealing with domestic violence that involves a service member can be complicated; understanding brain injury is key to making the complex more comprehensive.”

“Military personnel are particularly vulnerable, especially women,” points out Luke Fadell, U.S. Army Veteran and Military Family Navigator for the Brain Alliance. “However, over the past few years, the armed forces have been improving the situation with an increase in services for female vets.”

Fadell cites the VA Women Veterans Quick Start Guide, which helps women apply for benefits and access VA health care, even if it’s not combat-related. “This is truly an amazing program. In addition to scheduling regular checkups and filling prescriptions, it helps them find specialists, such as cardiologists, gynecologists, and mental health providers.”

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