Nearly a decade ago, what was supposed to be a fun day on the tubing hill in Fraser ended with Stephanie Zavilla suffering a traumatic brain injury.

She collided with a person at the bottom of the hill, which knocked her unconscious. In the years since, she’s suffered from post-concussion syndrome and a seizure disorder.

On March 19, Zavilla spoke to an audience about her experiences after the injury. The event, which took place at the Headwaters Center in Winter Park, was the culmination of The Longevity Project, which delved into how to identify, prevent and treat traumatic brain injuries.

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After Zavilla spoke, Lee Tuchfarber of Social Communities moderated a panel discussion where three experts weighed in.

This included Katharine Hartnack, Psy.D., a clinical neuropsychologist at the CU Marcus Institute for Brain Health. The institute provides care to current military members, veterans and first responders, who have careers that put them at risk for traumatic brain injuries.

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“One of the great things about our program is the interdisciplinary piece of it, in a co-location to co-treat,” Hartnack told the audience, explaining that this allows specialists to collaborate.

Without the institute, a person would have to travel to see a speech therapist, then a physical therapist somewhere else.

“Our program allows for both therapists to work together to improve the functioning of both things,” Hartnack said.

For example, a person in the program can practice relearning words while also doing a physical task. This challenges their brain with real-world situations — since life is full of multitasking.  

“They’re coming in for evaluation, but they’re leaving with hope, which is a thing most people don’t have before,” she said. “They’re leaving feeling validated, like a person, and with a plan for treatment.”

Kathleen Flarity, Ph.D. is the executive director of the institute. She discussed the importance of holistic care, rather than a “medication first” approach. A person should take care of their whole body — from their gut, to their ears, to their eyes.

Patients with traumatic brain injuries may have multiple specialists. She added that it’s critical to create a whole treatment plan, rather than receive piecemeal advice from various doctor visits.

“When you’re struggling … to go to this appointment, then this appointment and none of them talk to each other, that’s the struggle,” Flarity said. “Because this one will tell you to do that, and this one will tell you to do that.”

Her statement was met with applause and affirmation by the crowd, many of whom have experienced head injuries.

Flarity recommended having an integrated team of doctors, or a primary care doctor, such as those at Middle Park Health. She stated that a great primary care doctor will help patients schedule visits with speech therapists, physical therapists, neuropsychologists and others.

Dr. Jason Stuerman also spoke during the panel. He is the emergency department medical director for Middle Park Health and has decades of experience serving rural communities.

He discussed the importance of Grand County residents seeking care in their community. This ensures the reliability of test results based on the area’s elevation. For example, people might need to be tested for hypoxia, where the brain is deprived of oxygen.

“If you go down to Denver, you’re at a much lower elevation, and your testing might be fine,” he said. “But you come up to 7,000, 8,000 or 9,000 feet, you might be hypoxic and you never know because it wasn’t tested.”

During the discussion, Zavilla chimed in with anecdotes from her personal experience, saying she learned the importance of caring for physical and mental health as she navigates post-injury life — what she called her “new normal.”

This includes eating a clean diet, practicing therapy and mindful mediation, and staying active.

“Managing my lifestyle … helps me not be on a slew of medications for my seizures,” she said. “Those feel very under control for me, so I’m incredibly grateful.”

She also emphasized living your life while managing risk.

“I love being on the mountain and doing things that mountain people do,” she said. “I just do it being sure that I’m making the choices that make sense.”

The panel ended with a Q&A. Members of the community shared their personal experiences with head injuries and received advice from the panelists. Even after the event was over, the panelists stayed to talk with community members and help them navigate their lives after injury and get on a path to recovery.

The Longevity Project is a weekslong reporting project by Sky-Hi News, in partnership with Summit Daily News, to educate readers about what it takes to live a long, fulfilling life in the High Country. This year’s project included reporting on traumatic brain injuries, which can be read at SkyHiNews.com/longevity.