Photo Caption: Carly Guerrette (back right) poses with her family. Beside her is her father, Ryan. Standing in front, from left, are sister, Bobbi, and mother, Jamie.
When Carly Guerrette was a sophomore in high school, she learned firsthand how easy it is to get a concussion and how drastically it can change your life.
“Carly was not a student athlete, which might have put her at a higher risk for an injury like this, but it was just an odd set of circumstances,” recalls her mother, Jamie Guerrette.
In November 2019, Carly was hit in the head by a basketball in gym class, resulting in a concussion. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Carly soon had an incident in the locker room when she hit her head, followed not long after by a fall on the ice while skating which resulted in another head injury.
Whether or not the incidents were tied together or pure coincidence – since a concussion can lead to balance issues –the damage was done and Carly was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. This led to changes in her life that she and her family could not have imagined.
She went from being an honor roll student to not being able to read a sentence from beginning to end. She was the manager of the basketball team but could no longer travel on the bus to away games. The noise, lights, and motion were just too much. She went from being very active to needing lots of time at home in the quiet of her bedroom. She couldn’t even connect through social media in the early days of her injury, since screen time made things worse.
“Ironically, COVID really made things better for Carly when it came to her recovery. When things shut down in March, it meant learning was not regimented to 45-minute blocks of time. Remote learning allowed her to set her own pace. COVID also meant no more bus trips, no more loud hallways or fluorescent lights. It slowed things down and resulted in quiet time during isolation,” says Jamie. “While it was hard in a lot of ways, it was a bit of a blessing for Carly.”
The other blessing in Carly’s situation was Laura Roope, who Carly credits with saving her life. While some teachers were understanding and made accommodations for Carly’s injury, others were not. Carly ended up flunking English that year, and she had to retake it in summer school. That summer, Roope, who has a background in special education, provided support and encouragement to Carly. She worked around Carly’s limitations and gave her the needed confidence boost to know that she could succeed.
“I think Laura changed the trajectory of Carly’s high school experience and her life. I honestly don’t know if she would have graduated without Laura,” says Jamie.
Carly went on to not only graduate from Presque Isle High School, but she is also a proud graduate of Northern Maine Community College.
Concussions can be life altering, and Carly offers guidance to those who may be in a similar situation that she was in.
“Prioritize your mental health,” she says. “Be sure to follow your doctor’s advice. Don’t stop or start doing something just because you are feeling better, since it can set you back. Wait for the doctor to say it’s okay.”
And mom’s advice to caregivers?
“Keep advocating. Some doctors and teachers will be better than others. Listen to your kid and find the right people to be in your corner,” says Jamie.
According to Jamie, among those in Carly’s corner were Suzanne Morneault, who connected Carly with others who had also experienced traumatic brain injuries, and therapists who provided vestibular and physical rehabilitation.
Carly has mostly recovered from her ordeal now, although she still experiences occasional residual migraines.
If you believe you or your child has a concussion, be sure to be seen by a medical professional. Remember, it’s not ‘just’ a concussion; a concussion is a form of Traumatic Brain Injury. It can have consequences beyond what you might think and should be taken seriously to ensure the best recovery.