When Lotje Sodderland had a stroke at age 34, she started filming her life from her iPhone when she woke up, two days later. She filmed everything because she wanted to remember. This later came together in a documentary called My Beautiful Broken Brain.
The documentary begins showing us her cerebral hemorrhage. After she regains consciousness, two days after, she finds herself in a completely different world where she can’t understand the words and cant find the right words to say. Lotje also had trouble reading, was frustrated and confused.
I remember feeling that way, not knowing what was going on, not being able to speak and getting frustrated with myself. I understood Lotje because, like her, I was out of my house and living somewhere else but after my head injury I had to come back home.
But this documentary shows us hope, it shows that you can be strong, still have a life after a brain injury. She is brave and shared her story with the world, to give us hope, and to show us how to deal with it. Her brain injury was an acquired brain injury (tumor, stroke, brain hemorrhage, etc.), but she showed symptoms very similar to mine. She couldn’t remember words, felt like she was in a different world, trouble speaking, couldn’t live alone, etc.
She was even an inpatient at a neurological hospital for therapy and seeing her just brought back memories of my therapy days. If you have had a TBI or ABI, some parts bring back memories of being in that position, but you realize that just like you, she made it, you made it too and anyone else going through it right now, just remember, you will make it too.
Unstoppable María 