Teenager works toward recovery following brain injury

Not even two months after suffering a traumatic brain injury as the result of a car accident, 16-year-old Josie Elgin has her sights set on getting back to doing what she loves.

“She goes to see her horses every day,” her step-father David Berglund says.

The sophomore at Flathead High School competes in 4-H and Future Farmers of America. She’s earned blue ribbons for her pig at the fair. She’s competed in bronc riding and when her family adopted a mustang she broke and trained the horse herself.

“She’s a tough little cookie,” says her grandmother Shelly Berglund. “She likes rodeo and farm life, but horses are her thing.”

Elgin was the passenger in a pickup truck on Feb. 27 when the vehicle hit a patch of black ice. The vehicle lost control and hit a tree, ejecting Josie from the window.

The accident occurred on a Sunday evening and it would be several days before Josie, lying in a hospital bed at Logan Health Medical Center, would be woken up after being placed in a coma. While she came out of the accident with only bumps and bruises on her body, she suffered a grade three traumatic brain injury.

It’s an injury her family says that usually doesn’t have a positive outcome. But on March 25 after less than a month in the hospital, Josie was able to go home where she continues her recovery.

“She spent four weeks in the hospital,” David said. “For this type of traumatic brain injury, her recovery has gone very quick. She was expected to be in the hospital for six months to a year.”

Her grandmother says Josie has done better in her recovery than her doctors expected, and she now calls her granddaughter her “miracle girl.”

“Even after the accident she has not given up,” Shelly said. “She knows she probably won’t bronc ride again, but she wants to look at doing roping and team roping.”

David says Josie just got her show pig for FFA and is looking forward to working with it soon. She’s also in rehabilitation and working toward returning to school.

“She still has double vision, but that’s getting better on a daily basis,” he said. “She still has trouble with her speech, but her memory is good. We’re hoping she can get back to school by slowly introducing her to one class per day.”

Throughout the ordeal, Josie’s fellow students and FFA members have sent her encouragement. Josie attended the Marion School and her mother and step-father both serve on the Marion Fire Department.

The fire department and the school are now leading a benefit dinner and auction for the family to assist with expenses related to the accident. The event is set for Saturday at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

David says it’s hard to find the words to express what the benefit means to the family.

“It’s huge to have that kind of community support,” he said. “Becky and I both grew up here and it seems like the population has exploded and every month it’s growing, but Kalispell is still the small town that we know provides support for others.”

As she works to recover, David says, besides looking forward to working with her animals again, Josie is anxious to obtain her driver's license after the accident delayed the rite of passage.

“She’s an easy-going kid, but she’s also strong-willed,” he said.

A benefit for Josie Elgin is planned for Saturday, April 9 at the Expo Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Proceeds will assist the family with travel, medical bills and other expenses.

A pasta dinner will be served from 4-7 p.m. with donations taken per person or family. The evening includes silent and live auctions beginning at 6 p.m., along with a dessert auction immediately following.

For more information or to make a donation, call Kathleen Theis at 406-201-9718.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.