Ilona's Story
Brain injury
Ilona Laraque, 26, was living a full life in New Orleans. She took care of her young son and juggled multiple jobs. Yet, she still found time to do the things she loved which included riding ATVs, camping, shopping, getting her nails done and spending time with her family.
But her vibrant life changed in an instant due to an act of senseless violence.
“I was at a tire shop with my friend getting new tires and, out of nowhere, four young men shot the car while I was still sitting in the driver’s seat,” she said.
Ilona was shot three times in the head.
Lucky to be alive, she was flown by helicopter to a trauma center where she coded in the hospital. However, the medical team at the LCMC University of New Orleans was able to revive her and remove some of the bullet fragments from her brain. Some of the bullet fragments were inoperable.
Ilona was shot on the right side of her head, resulting in brain injury that weakened the left side of her body. Her left arm had lost its function. After multiple surgeries, she had fight her way back to normalcy, learning how to eat, walk and function independently. She struggled, especially when it came to motherhood.
“There were certain things that I wanted to do with [my son] but I couldn’t,” said Ilona. “I couldn’t walk on my own, I couldn’t cook for myself and for my baby and my daily routine started to become a challenge.”
She decided to move to Texas for a fresh start. With the support of her mother, Ilona sought out a comprehensive rehabilitation program. “We heard about Baylor Scott & White’s Day Neuro Program, and I knew that’s what I needed—therapy that pushed me,” she said.
Indeed, Ilona’s Day Neuro Program at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation - Lakeway focused on physical, occupational and speech therapies. Ilona’s goals were to be more independent and to walk better. Her team of physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists, worked with Ilona to create a plan to strengthen her left leg for walking, regain functional use of her left arm and work on higher-level cognitive skills. Ilona was determined to make the most of her life in Texas.
Her physical therapist worked with her to strengthen her legs and improve her walking. One of Ilona’s turning points in recovery was mastering the hip thrust. “That was hard for me, but when I was finally able to perform it ... it was exciting,” she said. Through hard work her walking began to improve. Her physical therapist had her fit with a new ankle foot orthotic that was lighter and allowed for more support at her ankle for optimal balance and stability. This was very helpful for her ability to resume playing in the yard with her son.
Ilona shared with her care team that she used a wheelchair to go to her son’s soccer games. With that in mind, her physical therapist challenged Ilona to walk outside on uneven surfaces to build her strength and confidence. “Walking on uneven surfaces was difficult, but my physical therapist worked with me until I could confidently go to my son’s soccer games without a wheelchair,” said Ilona.
Another success was her ability to resume walking speeds near normal. This was helpful for her shopping trips. Over spring break she was able to attend a party for a girlfriend and go on an all-day shopping trip. “I was able to keep up with everyone and I did not even slow them down!”
Occupational therapy sessions focused on strengthening her left arm and shoulder using electrical stimulation, which emits mild electrical pulses to help stimulate injured muscles that are getting a weak signal from nerves. By causing repeated muscle contractions, blood flow improves, helping repair and strengthen muscles through repeated cycles of contraction and relaxation. Her occupational therapists created activities with cones and other objects to help improve movement and coordination in her left hand.
“One day I was working with [my therapist] and I… grasped a cone and held on to it,” said Ilona. Using her left hand to grasp and hold something was a huge milestone.
Ilona also really enjoyed the occupational therapy group sessions. “I love being around other patients,” she said. “Everyone had a different story…. We understand each other, how little achievements are exciting.”
In speech therapy, Ilona worked on cognitive exercises. This included higher level thinking tasks such as managing medication and money management. Despite a severe brain injury, her recovery in that area progressed so rapidly that she was discharged earlier than expected from speech therapy. She was then able to focus more on her recovery with physical therapy and occupational therapy.
In the eyes of her therapists, Ilona’s recovery was amazing. When she began the program, she was only able to walk a short distance with a quad cane and couldn’t use her left arm at all. But as she prepared to end her time at the Day Neuro Rehabilitation Program, she was walking unlimited distances without a device, could partially use her left arm and was back to her baseline for cognition.
Reflecting on her journey and her new life in Texas, Ilona said, “The therapy is tough, but it’s worth it. My family pushed me, and the team here pushed me even harder. I’m looking forward to driving, working and living life.”
Ilona’s advice to others going through similar challenges?
“Don’t give up. It may seem impossible at first, but with hard work and the right support, you’ll get through it.”