Monday, May 05, 2008

"Brain Storm"

You are reading http://rriverstoneradio.blogspot.com/

Hi, Sarah.

I'm copying this to Rogi Riverstone, Brainstorm's producer. She should be able to forward this to the guest.

Thanks!

Rachel Kaub
KUNM Operations Manager



Dear KUNM,

My husband and I heard a small portion of today's Brain Storm program, and I
wonder if it is possible to get in touch with the woman who had suffered a
brain injury and was interviewed today -- I did not hear her name. She said
she was hoping to learn to play a song on the guitar and be able to play it
within a year.

My husband is Vince Bell http://www.vincebell.com

He has five of his own CDs and his songs have been performed and recorded by
Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Little Feat among others. He has also been on
KUNM in the past! More important, he is also a TBI survivor, as a result of
a car accident in 1982. He spent a month in a coma and had to relearn how
to walk, talk and play music again. The first song he was able to do was
not his own, but Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

I mention all this only to assure you our reasons for getting in touch are
that he was very touched by her story, and wondered if he might help in any
way.

We look forward to hearing from you, and thank you for the help.

Sincerely,

Sarah Wrightson & Vince Bell
Santa Fe, NM


Sarah,

Thank you for your interest. I'm sending this on to Corey Perea, the
woman who wants guitar lessons.

Keep on her; Corey can remember EVERYTHING from her past, but had
difficulty remembering what she'd ordered for lunch yesterday -- ten
minutes after she'd ordered it (yesterday was, coincidentally, Corey's
birthday, and I took her to lunch.)

Corey's smarter than hell; she just needs gentle reminding.

And please remember: follow up is necessary, even if your husband
decides he can't follow through on the idea. It really hurts to get
one's hopes up and never hear back from the person who made the offer.
I think Corey will feel pretty jazzed to know someone really heard
her, and cared enough to make contact. Just remember, though, "the
road to hell is paved in good intentions." Nothing personal, and I'm
not saying y'all WOULD "flake out" on her, but Corey's had a lot of
disappointments since her brain injury, and I won't reign in my
maternal instincts to protect.

I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear from y'all! Thank you SO MUCH!

Dear Rogi,

Thanks for this. We will call her tomorrow, Tuesday, and see what she'd
like to do. An easy drive from Santa Fe, as she is on the north end.

Thanks too, for your concern, but I think rather preaching to the choir as
my husband is brain injured. Remembering for ten minutes can be quite a
success in fact. And the decade of betrayals he endured in his first 10
years cannot be recounted. That he understands the world's fears and
inabilities to help in the face of helplessness is as much a part of his
recovery as anything else. It is as much a part of his heroism. His book,
One Man's Music, which deals in great part with that part of his life, will
be published by University of North Texas Press in Spring 09.

He has spoken at various TBI state conferences around the US, as the keynote
speaker, but it is always the break-out sessions with the survivors, which I
help with also, that are the most wonderful and difficult.

Anyway, we'll call on Tuesday and many thanks for all your help with this,
and your concern and care for Corey.

Sarah

No comments: