TBI service providers look for increase in funds for first time in 13 years
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are living with a traumatic brain injury.
'[My son] fell into a well in which there was no oxygen and was in there for 15 or 20 minutes [before he was] rescued and two weeks later came out of a coma and he had a brain injury,' Ellie Lacasse said.
Lacasse's son, Ben, sustained that injury when he was eight years old. He's now 50.
'As his mother and as someone who has tried to provide this kind of a life for him, I couldn't do it by myself at home,' Lacasse said. 'No one person could do it.'
Ben lives at Acadia NeuroRehab in Lancaster County.
'We are considered a post acute brain injury program, which means that we serve individuals with acquired brain injuries after they've gone through their hospital stay,' Jack Poplar, Acadia's chief innovative and advocacy officer, said.
Poplar says it's difficult to offer high-quality service since there hasn't been an increase in government funding in over a decade.
'13 years ago was a long time ago without any adjustment in rates,' Poplar said. 'So the challenge that we have as providers is trying to provide that high quality care at rates that we received 13 years ago.'
If a person sustains a traumatic brain injury after they are born, they fall into a different funding category than someone born with a cognitive deficit.
'If you're born with a cognitive deficit, you're in the intellectual disability system,' Richard Edley, president and CEO of Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association, said. 'If something happens after birth, you're in the traumatic brain injury system and the funding is drastically different.'
The lack of funding can put stress on people like Lacasse to make sure her family is in good hands.
'[Ben's] the happiest person in the world,' Lacasse said. 'That would not be possible if he weren't in a situation where people understood and could accept his disabilities.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sea turtle rehab center closes at Gumbo Limbo
BOCA RATON — The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center has been closed, the nonprofit operating the turtle hospital announced Friday. The Coastal Stewards said in a news release it was closing the center for financial reasons. 'Like many environmental nonprofits, The Coastal Stewards has faced increasing difficulty securing consistent and sustainable funding,' said Shivani Gupta, Board of Trustee member at The Coastal Stewards, in a prepared statement. 'This difficult decision allows us to reallocate resources and focus on our long-standing commitment to marine conservation education and empowering the next generation of ocean advocates.' The gift shop at the center also has been closed, Coastal Stewards said. The 13 sea turtle patients currently being treated at Gumbo Limbo are receiving veterinary care and will be transferred to other licensed sea turtle rehabilitation facilities when they become available, the nonprofit said, adding that it is working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during this process. The three resident sea turtles in tanks at the Gumbo Limbo center remain on view for the public, Coastal Stewards said. The center is operated by the city of Boca Raton. In a statement on its website announcing the closure of the rehab facility, the city said the center "remains fully open and active. The Center will continue its conservation and education efforts, including its sea turtle nesting and hatchling programs, youth camps, community education and other popular visitor attractions." The city said it is "open to exploring partnerships with other qualified nonprofit organizations that may be interested in continuing sea turtle rehabilitation on-site and will determine the best use of the gift shop space." This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Sea turtle rehab center at Boca's Gumbo Limbo closes
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Former UFC Fighter Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Sudden Illness
Former UFC Fighter Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Sudden Illness originally appeared on Men's Fitness. Ben Askren has been hospitalized due to a serious illness. On Saturday, June 7, Ben Askren's wife, Amy, shared in a Facebook post that Ben, 40, is in the hospital with severe pneumonia. "You may have heard that my husband Ben is going through something. He developed severe pneumonia which came on very suddenly. He's currently in the hospital and unable to respond to anything at this time. We welcome all prayers for healing and for peace. We are trying to keep life as normal as possible for our children currently and doing our best to support them thoughtfully so please refrain from discussing it with them for now," Amy wrote in the post. Wrestling insider Pat Mineo also took to social media, sharing Askren's condition. "Wrestling community, we need to pray for and rally around @BenAskren who is in critical condition and battling a severe staph infection. He is also battling severe pneumonia, prayers needed!!!" Mineo wrote on X on Saturday night. Askren's most recent Instagram post, shared just a week ago, has turned into a space for fans to send their thoughts and prayers, with many flooding the comments with heartfelt messages and prayer emojis. "Fight back Ben! I pray that you heal quickly and return just fine! We are ALL in your corner man!!!!!!" one Instagram user wrote. "Get well soon champ," another user wrote. Askren had an impressive MMA career, racking up 12 straight wins and capturing welterweight titles in both Bellator MMA and ONE Championship. Known for his dominant wrestling and unorthodox style, Askren retired from the sport in 2019. He briefly returned to competition in 2021 for a one-off boxing match against Jake Paul. Widely considered one of the greatest amateur wrestlers in U.S. history, Askren also represented Team USA in wrestling at the 2008 UFC Fighter Hospitalized in Critical Condition After Sudden Illness first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jun 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
How UT Dallas researchers are helping spinal injury patients reclaim their lives
With a tablet propped up in front of him and a joystick-like device in hand, Marshall Bell looks like he's playing a video game. But it's actually physical therapy — powered by innovative, Texas-developed technology that's changing his life. "I can officially shampoo my hair with my injured arm," said Bell, 35, of Arlington, with a smile. "It might take a while, but I am just ecstatic to be able to get it to touch my —" he said, moving his hand to his head to demonstrate. Life changed by hit-and-run Marshall Bell, 35 CBS News Texas In 2016, Bell was hit by a car while walking along a Fort Worth street. The driver didn't stop. Bell was left with a partially severed spine and a devastating prognosis. "His name was Dr. Gundy," said Bell. "He pulled my father into the room and told him, 'You need to make arrangements for your son. He might not be able to do anything on his own ever again.'" At the time, Bell could only move his index finger. But he was determined to recover. Over time, he regained the ability to walk—but he wanted more. UT Dallas leads breakthrough Bell joined a groundbreaking study led by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas. The study centers on a tiny, implantable device that stimulates the vagus nerve during physical therapy. "That's the device," said Robert Rennaker, Ph.D., a retired Marine turned neuroscience professor and inventor. "It's just a little circuit board inside some glass." Tiny device, big results The device is implanted through a small incision in the neck and zip-tied to a nerve. It doesn't require batteries, is MRI-safe, and is charged externally with a device that resembles headphones. "I can't feel it at all," said Bell. "In the test trials, I thought I had the placebo. Then they pressed it, and I felt the shock. I was like, 'Oh, all right, it's there!'" Rewarding the brain's effort During therapy, the device stimulates the vagus nerve to reward successful movements. "I always tell people, I like to golf. I hit the ball well, and I'm like, yeah!" said Rennaker. "We're doing that, but we're doing it artificially." "It's not exciting to relearn how to pick up a cup or put in an earring," said Jane Wigginton, M.D., chief medical officer at the Texas Biomedical Device Center at UT Dallas. "So we give them that same little zap to the vagus nerve that releases those same chemicals. It lays down that pathway so it gets easier and easier." Hope for long-term injuries Wigginton said the study has shown unprecedented recovery rates for spinal cord injuries, regardless of how much time has passed. She cited examples like Hal, who is now able to point and type 40 years after his injury, and Amanda, who can now put on earrings by herself. "In my mind, it's like a miracle," said Wigginton. Years of research pay off The research builds on more than a decade of neuroscience and bioengineering work at UT Dallas. Previous studies showed that vagus nerve stimulation during therapy could rewire the brain after a stroke. Now, the same approach is helping spinal cord injury patients make progress once thought impossible. "I can officially dress myself completely," said Bell. "And I can fully open mason jars now! It's the little things." Texas at the forefront The Communities Foundation of Texas funded the initial production of the implantable devices. Researchers are continuing to fundraise and conduct clinical trials as they pursue full FDA approval, which they hope to achieve in the next three to four years. "It's going to make North Texas the center of the universe in this sort of research," said Wigginton. "It absolutely will. It's that big." The goal, researchers say, is to help patients reclaim their lives. "I would say that is dead on what this is doing," said Bell.
