‘I can only be thankful:’ Following wreck, Johnson hopes to raise awareness about brain injuries

Posted 8/27/15

Joel’s only memory of the wreck is swerving.

Thankfully, it wasn’t his last memory.

The June 8 accident north of Powell nearly claimed his life. But it also gave Joel and his family a new appreciation for life, the community and the power …

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‘I can only be thankful:’ Following wreck, Johnson hopes to raise awareness about brain injuries

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What began as a routine drive to work changed the course of Joel Johnson’s life.

“This ordinary day became a morning of twisted metal, broken glass, broken bones, blood and bruises,” his sister-in-law, Paula Cross, would later write in an online post.

Joel’s only memory of the wreck is swerving.

Thankfully, it wasn’t his last memory.

The June 8 accident north of Powell nearly claimed his life. But it also gave Joel and his family a new appreciation for life, the community and the power of prayer.

“It certainly makes you take stock of your life and what’s important,” he said Monday. “Those are all good things that come from it. You can’t say everything that’s come from it is bad.”

Among the good things: helping others in similar situations.

He wants to raise awareness as well as support for people with traumatic brain injuries.

As part of his rehabilitation in Billings, Joel went to a group meeting with other brain injury patients.

“I gained more from that meeting, mentally and psychologically, than just about anything,” he said. “I felt like I’m not the only one dealing with these issues.”

Joel is looking at starting a brain injury support group in Powell, possibly through NOWCAP Services. (For more information, contact Trish Shorb at  307-587-4046, ext. 2.)

“It’s not just for the person who was injured. It’s for people who are involved with them — their friends and family,” he said.

With brain injuries, recovery takes a long time.

“He looks great on the outside, but there’s so much still going on in the inside with healing,” said Michele Johnson, his wife. 

After 25 days at St. Vincent Healthcare, Joel returned home to Powell on July 3 and finished rehabilitation on Aug. 11. Last week, he returned to his full-time job at Vanguard Natural Resources in Elk Basin.

Joel’s recovery has amazed his doctors, Michele said.

“It’s not by anything I did,” he said. “Glory goes to God and everybody who helped support us. I can only be thankful.”

Driving safety

The accident occurred as Joel was driving to work on Wyo. Highway 295. Another driver pulled out from Lane 7, hitting Joel’s truck.

“I absolutely, 100 percent do not blame him for anything,” Joel said. “It was just an accident. Accidents happen every single day, all day long. It’s just part of life.”

He had driven the road thousands of times over the years, and knew to be especially cautious at the intersections, where vehicles sometimes go through stop signs.

“Yet I didn’t see this one coming,” Joel said. “I don’t know if I could have avoided the accident if I would have seen him coming.”

He reminded drivers how important it is to pay attention and to wear a seatbelt.

“Ultimately, you have to give yourself the best chance to live in a situation like that,” he said. “And that best chance is in your seatbelt, being able to see all your mirrors and paying attention. Those are going to be determining factors if you do get in an accident.”

Thankful for community support

Following the accident, the Johnson family experienced an outpouring of support and prayer from the community and around the world.

“The support has been mind-boggling,” Joel said. “It was from all over … it’s very humbling to see how selfless people can be.”

Joel thanked first responders who were at the scene of the accident and all of the medical personnel. 

“I am thankful that I am able to say thank you,” he said.

He also said it’s been humbling to experience so much support from the community.

“It really reaffirms how great a small town can be,” Joel said. “You don’t want to ever have to test it, to be in that situation.”

People from all walks of faith have supported the family, he said.

“Anything they could do to help us, they were there,” Joel said. “We want to do that for other people.”

He said they want to use support from the Hitting 4 Hometown Heros softball tournament to help other people as well.

Continuing recovery

The saying “live life to the fullest” has taken on new meaning for the Johnsons since the accident. 

“Believe me, you don’t know what the next minute is going to bring,” Michele said.

She said they are taking it one day at a time.

“Once you get out of the hospital, you kind of think that things should go back to normal,” Joel said. “Well, that’s going to be a long time coming.”

For 16 years in her job with the state, Michele dealt with brain injury clients off and on, so she understood the medical terminology when doctors talked with her about Joel’s condition.

He’s continuing to recover from physical injuries.

After suffering seven fractures around his eye and cheek, his left eye doesn’t track or focus like it should, so he may have to undergo eye surgery in December.

He doesn’t have some of the feeling in his left hand and has no feeling in his upper left leg. Another MRI is scheduled for his right knee.

“What hit him hard was the day he found out about his hearing loss of 40 percent in both ears,” Michele said. “The whole accident just hit him that day.”

Hearing aids won’t help. “It’s the nerve that’s damaged,” Joel said. “The nerve acts like the translation device between the ears and the brain. It’s pretty common with traumatic brain injuries.”

He also lost some of his sense of taste.

“That’s the stuff that, going forward, I’ll probably have the hardest time with,” Joel said. “But I mean, I’m still here. I’m still breathing.”

“That’s the most important thing,” Michele said.

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