TPIH: Emily and Will Ptacek
Family shares struggle of adjusting to life with traumatic brain injury
This week’s episode of That Podcast in Hutch features my friends Emily and Will Ptacek.
Emily suffered a traumatic brain injury during a traffic accident in Reno County. It left her with lasting injuries that will affect her cognition the rest of her life.
In this episode, Emily and Will talk about what their lives looked like before the accident, and what it looks like now. It has required an intentional shift in the way they manage life and time, and it has also required grace and patience.
It has also required love, and I hope that is something you’ll be able to feel and hear in this episode. At its core, this episode is about the sort of resolute love required for two people to support each other through difficult times.
But you’ll also learn that there’s humor after tragedy. There’s hope. And there’s resilience to start again.
You’ll also hear how Emily built the tools she needed for recovery - by establishing a support group for traumatic brain injury patients in Hutchinson. The group meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m in the Hutchinson Public Library.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Emily and Will Ptacek.
There are a lot of resources available to learn more about TBI. Here’s one., and here’s one that is specific to Kansas.
I was choked up listening to this and then smiling. This love story clicked so many emotions all in one hour. And I learned so much about TBI. Great stuff!