Transcription:
Recovery with SHARE Military Initiative

In our ongoing efforts to educate and communicate, we feature our healthcare providers in conversation on Shepherd Center Radio.

Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome to Shepherd Center Radio. I'm Caitlin Whyte. Today we are discussing the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center. This comprehensive rehabilitation program focuses on assessment and treatment for service members who have served in the US Military since September 11th, 2001, regardless of discharge status. It helps service members who are experiencing symptoms of, or have had a diagnosis of mild to moderate brain injury or concussions and any co-occurring psychological and behavioral health concerns, including post-traumatic stress.

Janera Baskerville joins us today to tell us about her experiences with stroke rehabilitation and the SHARE initiative. So Janera, thank you so much for being with us today. To start off, tell us a bit about your experience in the military and how it led you to the SHARE program.

Janera Baskerville (Guest): Well, I loved being a Marine. My mom always told me, well when I had my injury and I was forced to medically retire, I was like, oh my gosh mama, I wanted to spend a lifetime in the Marine Corps. I wanted to spend 20 plus years. I wanted, I was an aviation supply specialist and I wanted to transition from that and become a commissioned officer. I had a lot of plans. I enjoyed it. I loved, I loved the brotherhood and sisterhood that I got from the Marine Corps.

Host: Tell us a bit more about your injury, where in the recovery process are you now?

Janera: Well, in September 23rd of 2015, I had a brain aneurysm rupture, and it caught us all off guard. Because I was 23 years old at the time, I was on maternity leave and I went running with one of my Marines. And I got the worst headache of my life. I've never had a headache like that before. I went to the emergency room here in the local area and they did a CT scan. They sent me home. They were like, it's just the migraine. It's just a hunger headache. So yeah, they told me it's a hunger headache. So, I had a stroke. I woke up in Bufford Memorial Hospital, one of the local hospitals, and they're like, they're like, I tried to get out of my bed and they were like, my bed alarms went off and I'm like, what's going on? And they said, ma'am you had a brain aneurysm. I'm like, what is that? I didn't even know what a brain aneurysm was.

I'm like, what is that? So long story short, my life changed before my eyes. I mean, I was, I'm thinking I was in denial. I didn't understand what happened to me. I'm thinking, okay, I'm going to get home. I was sick, but I'm going to get home and I'm going to get dressed to go back to work and my staff in the field was like, no, Sergeant Baskerville, you are not coming back to work.

I'm sorry. And I'm like what? It was a, definitely a very long road to recovery. Where I am now with it is every day, I'm taking it a day at a time. After my treatment at SHARE, I look my perspective, my perspective on my life now was way more different than what it is now leaving the Shepherd Center, because I couldn't see past the chauffeur and basically saying my life was over.

When I came back home from the Shepherd Center, I had a new hope. I'm like, man, my life is not over. I can do this. I got into school. I was cleared to drive at the Shepherd Center. When I came home. I started school. Now, in my first semester of school, I made the Dean's list, second semester, the Dean's list again. Inducted into the Honor Society, I just been loving it.

So every day I just wake up with so much joy in my heart and every person I come into contact with, I let them know all about the Shepherd Center. And if you know anybody. You refer them to the Shepherd Center.

Host: Tell us a bit more about that. How, what brought you to the SHARE program? And it sounds like you got a lot from it. Tell us more about that.

Janera: I did. So I had also attached with the Wounded Warrior Project and I had a conduct casualty nurse come to do an assessment. At the time, I had a caregiver and he was at the house when she came by and she was, you know, just talking to me and assessing me. And I'm just looking at this lady and I'm like, yeah, my life is over. She's like, I'm like, look, I'm twenty-five years old, and my life is over. And she's like, she said, I think I have somewhere where you, where you, you will get really good treatment, she said, would you be open to going into treatment? You know, to be cleared to drive and you know, just a fresh start. And I'm like, yeah, whatever, I guess.

And she signed me up for the Shepherd Center. I went for like a week evaluation. Because then I had to go to them. They, so they can see where I am with everything. And once I started my treatment, that was it from there. I've been thanking that combat casualty nurse since then, because that was the best decision that I could have made for myself.

Host: Now, why is this type of programming so important to you and how do you think it will help other veterans as well.

Janera: Well, when I first went into treatment, you know, I was like nervous. I was like, oh man, I don't know anybody. You know, I'm going to feel weird, but I mean, the veterans, the other veterans that was receiving treatment as well, they embraced me with open arms and it was - the most unique experience about it was that everyone had their own unique story, but we all connected through our service, you know what I mean? And they embraced me and they were all much older than me, but they embraced me like the little sister, like, hey, come on. I loved it. I loved it. And we kept up with each other, we looked out for each other and it reminded me a lot of my experience as an active-duty Marine.

We never left a Marine behind. We always took care of each other and that's how it was at the Shepherd Center. We took care of each other.

Host: And it sounds like, you know, you're back in school, you have all these things planned. What do the next couple of years look like for you looking forward?

Janera: Well right now, I am in my last semester, before I get my Associate's Degree in Science, I'm going to be transferring out of a community college and going into a university. I'm all nervous. I'm like, oh man, this is a university. It's the big stuff. But, I'm ready. I'm ready. I plan to pursue my Bachelor's in Science and go on to become a Physician Assistant specializing in Neurosurgery. And I'm excited. I'm so excited.

Host: That's incredible. Well, Janera, is there anything else you want to add just about your experience, the SHARE program that I didn't maybe ask about?

Janera: I would just say that if there is anyone that has had a spinal cord injury or just has lost hope after a terrible accident, I would highly recommend the Shepherd Center because it gave me a whole new, a whole new perspective on life. And just, you know, I appreciate all of the therapists at the Shepherd Center for being patient and persistent with, you know, clients like myself. Because, I definitely needed it. I was a piece of work. I was, I was, but they stuck on, you know, they, they, they stuck to it and they took care of, they took care of me. Ultimately, I was taken care of, you know, and I would highly recommend the Shepherd Center to anyone, anyone.

Host: Well, thank you again, Janera for your service and for being so open and sharing your story with us today. Find out more about the SHARE Initiative as well as other stories of courage at sheppard.org/share. This is Shepherd Center Radio. I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. Stay well.