The death of someone you love can be tremendously painful. The death of your child- some say is worse. The death of your child, at the hands of careless healthcare providers... unimaginable.

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Medical malpractice first hand experience and legal process exposure.

As I held my lifeless 6-month-old son, possibly for the last time, I remember questioning, How does this happen? How does my neurotypical twin son, Austin, acquire a diagnosis of "minimal brain activity," in a matter of minutes? The answer was revealed over time-Medical Malpractice.

 

Patient, parental, & healthcare provider (Registered Nurse) internal insight.

After experiencing, in real time, the devastation resulting from reckless deviations in "standards of care," I knew what I had to do. Our 5-month Pediatric Intensive Care inpatient hospital experience, combined with my 14+ years as a healthcare professional, has afforded me an unparalleled, comprehensive, insider view of our failing health systems today.

 

You can confidently relinquish the burden of non-legal affairs.

From my patient, parental, and healthcare provider empirical experience, I composed our firm's variable of distinction, "The Trifecta Approach." This affords you, our attorney client, with the ability to confidently relinquish control of the medical aspects of your brain/ brain related birth injury cases, in order to free up the time and space you need to do what you do best. Our unique approach also affords the clients you serve with an incomparable, highly-specialized, and meticulous medical/nursing review of their case. 

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32-Bed Neuro ICU/ Level I Trauma Ctr./ Nationally Designated Stroke Ctr. 

Serving as a healthcare provider at a Level I trauma center, nationally-designated comprehensive stroke center, and a 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit, I found my true passion and purpose in healthcare- patient and family advocacy! Most of the patients I cared for were intubated (ventilator) and heavily sedated, following a significant brain injury (stroke, aneurysm, brain hemorrhage, trauma, tumors, etc.). 

 

An exemplary degree of competence in brain-related matters.

Their loved ones- distraught, often intimidated, and feeling helpless, drew strength from the confidence they found in my competence. This required me to step up, and be the advocate they needed me to be during some of the most uncertain, difficult, and terrifying moments of their lives. I didn't choose critical care nursing-it chose me.  

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Relentless Tenacity Securing A Piece of Certainty For The Injured Nationwide

Following my son's significant watershed (brain) injury/stroke, I was unsure what to expect. I remember thinking, "Now what?" Well, now we wait. 72 hours later, Austin was off to MRI to determine the extent of his brain injury. 

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Documented as follows: "Respiratory and Metabolic acidosis. Hypothermia. Hypotension. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) of 3. Significant global hypoxic injury. Austin is critically ill, secondary to severe organ failure: Neurologic, Circulatory, and Respiratory." 

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Empathy from a place of true understanding 

In came the neurologist and attending physician, prefacing their doom and gloom delivery with, "We're so sorry..." continuing with, "Austin will likely never walk, talk, … if anything, he will be blind." Next came the discussion of potentially removing him from life support and "letting nature run its course."

 

Thankfully, moments later, Austin's toes began to wiggle. The next day his eyes spontaneously opened. And shortly following, was the sweetest, most reassuring smirk, with a distinct twinkle in his eye, as if to say, "Hang in there mama, my greater is coming!" And wouldn't you know it; I was told these movements were not purposeful- "just reflexes."

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From the moment I saw that smirk, 2 things became clear:

1. Austin was going to be just fine

2. Both of our journeys had just begun. 

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Passion for doing whatever it takes. Neither making, nor accepting excuses.

2 degrees, 7 advanced healthcare certifications, and 400+ philanthropic volunteer hours later, and I still was hungry for more. I began to research all there was to know about brain injuries, neuro rehabilitation, neuropharmacology, neuroimaging, neurolinguistics, cognitive neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, and the list goes on.

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I took a special interest in nutritional advances and the latest evidence based recommendations following brain injury/stroke and paired my acquired knowledge with an intensive Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Feeding Therapy, Aquatic Therapy, etc., intensive rehabilitation regimen for Austin,- up to 25 appointments a month. 

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Relentless pursuit of justice for the underdog.

Fast forward a couple years, and Austin is a lively, vivacious, walking, talking, charismatic, strong-willed... 4-year-old who has defied all odds, and has made a miraculous recovery from "Minimal brain activity," to "Completely normal brain activity!" We face challenges, and still have a ways to go, but man... talk about a second chance! It was obvious, Austin's resilience, and heartwarming persona, was impacting lives- globally! Little did I realize, my part of his story was doing the same.

 

Humble and hungry.

How fortunate I am, to be afforded a career path, as your brain/ brain related birth injury expert; not only doing what I'm passionate about, but also what is purposeful. It's a humbling and honorable experience, each and every time I am afforded the opportunity to assist you and the clients you serve.

 

This journey...

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From "significant widespread (brain) injury,"  to significant widespread impact,

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...has afforded me the opportunity to scale a revolutionary business, establish sincere long-term partnerships, truly make a positive- lasting imprint on the lives of many injured, and earn the respect and trust of highly esteemed lawyers and law firms, nationwide.​

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With gratefulness overflowing,

 

Saundra Smyrski 

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Your Brain Injury Expert

BSN, RN, CLNC, CCFP

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