Sixteen-year-old Katie Rohrbacher's smile is one of the first things people notice about her. Her smile has always communicated her inner warmth and enthusiasm.  Today, Katie relies on that smile more than ever to bridge the gap that her words used to fill. It has been almost a year since a violent car crash left the Perkiomen Valley High School sophomore in a coma for several weeks. A passenger in a car that hit a tree at high speed, Katie owes her life to the airbag and seatbelt that cushioned the crushing impact. The badly crumpled car had to be pried apart to free her. The violent shaking motion during the crash bruised her brain and left her in critical condition.

A month later, her medical condition was stabilized enough for her to transfer to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital where therapy began, even though she had not yet regained consciousness. Her parents, Steve and Ruth of Skippack, selected Bryn Maw Rehab based on the reputation of the hospital's Emerging Awareness Program for patients with severe brain injuries. 

Specialized Services
Patients like Katie receive three to four hours of therapy daily that includes physical movement and sensory stimulation tailored to the areas of emerging responsiveness.  Gradually, Katie became more aware of her surroundings and began to respond to the voices urging her on. 

"Our staff is specifically trained to provide this intensive therapy for disorders of consciousness," said neurologist David Long, M.D., Brain Injury Program director.  "Consistency in approach is a key to our treatment success."

Katie and her family are the central members of a treatment team that includes many different clinical specialists who work together to address the specific cognitive, behavioral, physical, and emotional difficulties that Katie faces because of her brain injury. They are trained to care for each person uniquely at each level of recovery.

As her recovery continued, our Assistive Technology program made available a full range of high-tech and low-tech devices - including communication boards and an adapted wheelchair -- to help her function better.

Following her six-month inpatient stay, Katie began attending the hospital's Brain Injury Day Treatment Program, which is designed to help individuals regain independence and to return to school, home, community or the workplace.  Therapy focuses on daily living skills, including mobility, personal care, problem-solving, work/school skills, budgeting, social interactions and healthy lifestyles. 

Before her accident, Katie played piano and flute, and enjoyed basketball, lacrosse and hockey.  She and her family have set ambitious goals for Katie's recovery that include relearning to walk and talk, regaining the use of her right arm and returning to school full time. 

"Katie has made amazing progress since her accident," said her mother, Ruth, while watching her daughter stand, take a few tentative steps with the help of her therapists, then smile with delight.  "Her enthusiasm and determination have kept us going these past few difficult months, and we are very grateful for every small sign of progress.  There is something new to celebrate almost every day."