Marie's Story

Survivors of brain injury, their families, and their supporters are facing difficult times, and the fight is far from over.

On June 11, 2019, Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance changed forever, threatening the sustainability of brain injury providers like Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center and the longevity of rehab for the catastrophically injured.

“Following a brain injury, there are many different things that go into the care of the individual. You are dealing with someone’s whole person and who they are. To meet all of those needs, you have to have a team. It is a common misconception that health insurance covers comprehensive care and that is not the case,” shared Origami’s Director of Rehabilitation, Amanda Carr.

Origami’s team sees firsthand the support that auto no-fault benefits provide Michigan families. While the benefits of this law have supported many individuals our team serves, one client story that illustrates the significance of these benefits well is our client, Marie.

At the school bus stop in Haslett, Michigan, Marie and her 13-year-old daughter were struck by a hit and run driver. Marie sustained many severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury that altered the course of her life.

For weeks, Marie was on life support and in a coma. Marie’s husband Dave looks back on the challenging time stating, “For all intents and purposes, she was gone. The truth of the matter is that this kind of injury is like pulling the plug on the person.” When Marie became responsive, her family focused on accessing the resources that Marie would need to recover.

“In Marie’s situation, without auto no-fault, she would not have been able to receive the comprehensive rehabilitation services and quality of care that she really deserves,” said Origami’s Director of Rehabilitation, Amanda Carr.

When Marie arrived at Origami, she went through a variety of basic cognitive-linguistic assessments and scored in the severe range on each one. “For Marie, being at Origami and getting the services that she needs, allows us to help her progress. Marie has some pretty big personals goals and it is really nice to see her work towards those,” said Marie’s Speech-Language Pathologist, Linda Wells. “Life benefit with Michigan’s Auto NoFault has allowed us to provide Marie the care she needs, without worry. Policymakers need to step back and realize how much value Michigan’s current benefits provide local families. They can’t put it in the same context as someone who has lived through it,” said Marie’s husband, Dave.

Without the expertise of organizations like Origami, people like Marie would not receive the care they deserve to regain a new quality of life. Origami’s President & CEO, Tammy Hannah, calls us all to stand together to do all we can, to ensure survivors of catastrophic auto accidents continue to receive the care they need. Contact Origami at OrigamiRehab.org to learn how you can join this important fight.

Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Origami provides comprehensive rehabilitation for adolescents and adults with neurological dysfunction through their residential, outpatient, and community-based programs. With their compassionate and innovative services, Origami creates opportunities and transforms lives.