as much as Mr. Woodruff's brain injury was tragic at the time the good that will come out of the triumph that is Mr. Woodruffs recovery from the TBI is even more fascinating and I would like to publicly thank Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff for doing what governemt should be doing and taking care of our troops and their families when they need us the most .,... also would like to aknowledge the Fishers who through their Fisher Foundation and Fisher Houses are making lives easier for woounded soldiers and their families...As for Walter Reed debacle SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE FOR PUTTING THESE SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH HELL THROUGH NEGLIGENCE ... shame on you for not doing your duty and for covering it up because you're too lazy to do things the right way.

A TAMPA TRIBUNE STORY ABOUT A BRAIN INJURED PLANT HIGH SCHOOLER



Plant High Is Passing Test Of Life

By STEVE OTTO

Published: Mar 2, 2007



What I hate about this story is that it shouldn't have to be. What bothers me even more is that it could be any one of us. I know that's true. I hear variations of this every day. Every day.



It has been almost a year now. It was March 14 when the accident happened.



Arielle Serrano and her twin sister, Alexis, had finished flag football practice on the Plant High field in south Tampa and decided to cross Dale Mabry and get a couple of smoothies at the little store across the road.



Dale Mabry is one of those highways you should never cross on foot and definitely not if you aren't at a crossing.



Arielle never saw the car coming. It hit her, fracturing several bones and causing severe trauma to the brain. Fortunately for her, the driver of the car was a veteran back from Iraq and experienced in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is likely he saved her life.



Arielle's mother, a chemistry teacher at Plant, rushed over as the then-14-year-old was taken to Tampa General Hospital.



A Father's Love



Jose Serrano had worked for the post office more than 22 years. After that day he did not return to work. He stayed with his daughter in the hospital, and now he stays home with her.



The health insurance payments, which never covered everything, are drying up. The insurance people say they won't pay for more therapies unless they get some sign there will be progress. You would like to think these all are practical medical decisions, but you know better. At the least you would wish for a world where every effort is made - without concern for the cost.



Immediately after the accident, a fund was set up in Arielle's name at branches of a local credit union. That money is nowhere near what the cost of therapy and equipment will be for the now 15-year-old girl.



I want you to meet Jackie Lopez. Jackie is a Plant senior. A few years ago, former Plant Principal Vince Sussman was paralyzed after a fall at his home. Leading the fundraising effort then was Jackie's mom, Plant instructor Linda Lopez, and Plant graduates Jimmy Kalamaris and Darryl Stephany.



"She had me out knocking on doors," Jackie said. Now it is Jackie's turn. She came up with the idea for a chicken and yellow rice dinner while talking with others at a high school journalism convention.



The dinner is planned for March 15.



Oh, Jackie didn't really know Arielle, who was two classes below her.



A Single Heartbeat

It's been a pretty good year for Plant, winning the state football title and such, but this may have affected them more.



They have even taken on the football team's "one heartbeat" slogan and called their project "Hearts for Arielle."



You can buy tickets at the Plant High office. Then you can come to the dinner and stick around for the Plant-Robinson High baseball and softball games - or just come to a drive-through in the parking lot to take home the chicken dinners.



There also is a general donation fund at Plant where you can send a check. Make it out to Hearts for Arielle and send it to Plant High School, 2415 S. Himes Ave., Tampa FL 33629.



A hundred bucks gets you a paper heart hanging in the halls. Shoot, you might even be one of those people who could underwrite the entire dinner.