On a rainy day in September, 17 year-old Chandlar Steen lost control of her car and sustained a traumatic brain injury. In the days that followed, she underwent multiple surgeries to reduce swelling and drain fluid from her brain.
When she arrived at Nexus Children’s Hospital – Houston, Chandlar felt confused and depressed. She was still regaining consciousness, ingesting her food and medication through a nasogastric tube, and experiencing nausea, migraines, and disorientation.
“I understand now that this was all the result of the brain injury,” said Christy Steen, Chandlar’s mother. “But at the time, it was just so traumatizing to see her suffer through that.”
After a gastrostomy tube was inserted into her stomach, the nausea and migraines stopped almost immediately. Chandlar was finally able to speak — which revealed the degree to which her cognitive faculties remained intact. While her short-term memory had been affected by the injury, her long-term memory and critical reasoning skills were still sharp.
“She’s top of her class in high school,” said Christy. “The Nexus staff could tell right away how smart she was.”
During her time at Nexus, Chandlar relearned basic activities of daily living, including swallowing, speaking, and walking. It was difficult work. Faced with the enormity of the tasks before her, there were days when she felt overwhelmed with challenging emotions.
“I dealt with them by crying,” said Chandlar. “Honestly, I did not want to live, but my mom helped me through it. Now I know that I want to heal.”
As she made progress in therapy, Chandlar began to feel more determined — and even joyful.
“Chandlar’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle and so rewarding to be a part of,” said physical therapist Camille Cox. “She pushed through the hardest of days, giving her all and making us laugh constantly. Her attitude and perseverance made her a Champion every day.”
A lover of music, Chandlar relished the opportunity to reengage with one of her favorite activities: dancing. She and occupational therapist Morgan Dollar taught each other dances as part of Chandlar’s therapy.
“She went from little to no movement on her left side to line dancing during our last occupational therapy session,” said Morgan. “It was so special to be a part of Chandlar’s journey.”
Since returning home to Hearne, Texas, Chandlar has continued to recover her physical and cognitive strength. She plans to study nursing at a historically black college.
