Care Coordination Provides Vital Resources for Ed

The first IED attack that Ed Nevarez experienced in Iraq changed his life forever. "It's something that I'll never forget," he said. After the attack, Ed felt groggy, his head hurt, his stomach was churning and loud noises bothered him. He and his comrades were in the middle of a mission though, so he didn't see a doctor until three days later. When he did, they thought he had a concussion and asked him to perform a memory test. Ed didn't pass and was told he couldn't go out on any missions until he did. Not wanting his comrades to go without him, he wrote the answers to the memory test on his hand so he could pass.

He was still experiencing some dizziness and drowsiness, but he tried to ignore his symptoms. Then he was hit again; Ed doesn't remember it happening, but he does recall the loss of balance and painful headaches he experienced afterward. Still, he couldn't face the idea of staying behind while his battle buddies went on without him, so he continued to downplay the problems and kept working. On his last mission before returning home, the building he was in was struck by mortars, and he was thrown to the ground and hit his head. "I had a huge bump on my forehead," he said, "but I told everyone I was fine."

Army medics encouraged Ed to get a CAT scan in Kuwait on his way back to the United States, but Ed couldn't get an appointment there before he left because of the long wait time. Instead they told him to get a CAT scan as soon as he returned home, but once he was back, that was the furthest thing from his mind. "I didn't care about that because I wanted to be with my family," he explained. Ed did notice that he wasn't the same after returning home, however. "I didn't have the same attitude or the same drive," he expressed. Eventually, he received a CAT scan and was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"When Ed came to Operation TBI Freedom, he was having employment issues and experiencing terrible anxiety," Care Coordinator Fredia Johnson stated. "He was also dealing with financial issues after being let go from his job." Operation TBI Freedom connected Ed with emergency financial assistance to help him pay his mortgage, and the Redistribution Center provided food while his benefits paperwork was being processed. "We also found him a refurbished computer, donated by a local non-profit, so he could stay in touch with his battle buddies and do some brain training," Fredia explained.

Ed is grateful for the support he receives from Fredia and Operation TBI Freedom. He also appreciates that Fredia lets him know about resources and events he can take advantage of. "Fredia's been the bomb! Whenever I find myself in a tight situation and need some help, I know I can call Fredia," he shared. "When I don't know where else to go, she's my resource." Now Ed is making progress in his recovery and is able to provide for his wife and two young daughters. He's also working again and going to school to pursue his interests in science.

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See the tribute page that was created in honor of Ed!