Linda and David Sundberg
Linda Sundberg has personal reasons for wanting to volunteer for Outpatient Services at Madonna. She has been there. She has experienced the fear and uncertainty of arriving at Madonna to relearn skills she had lost when she had her accident.
Linda was shopping at an outdoor mall, and was struck by an SUV as she crossed the parking lot. After impact, she struck her head. Although she does not remember it, she spoke to the paramedics and medical staff at the hospital when she arrived, but began to vomit and lost consciousness. It was then that they knew she had a brain injury. When Dave arrived at the hospital, she was still unconscious and no one could assure him that she would wake again. For three days, no one knew if she would live. After three days, she woke and whispered to Dave, "hi, honey." He remembers the relief that flooded him in the realization that she recognized him.
About a week later, Linda arrived at Madonna. She had no memory of the accident or the two weeks following it. As is often the case with patients who have had a brain injury, she was agitated and upset. She remembers vividly the day that terrible state subsided. She was alone in her room while her family spoke in the hall for a moment. She closed her eyes, opening herself to a new sensation.
"I was filled with a calmness. A warmth. It was God's love." Linda explains. After that moment, she felt a peace and acceptance of herself and her situation, and the horrible agitation fell away.
Linda had some paralysis on her right side, memory loss, injuries from which she needed to recover, and double vision when she looked down, making it impossible to read. In all, she needed to use six different areas of the hospital for her rehabilitation. She returned for outpatient therapy the day after she was discharged from Madonna's sub-acute care unit.
"Everyone was so wonderful," she recalls. "We still keep in touch with some of my therapists. They were so helpful and caring. They helped me to understand my situation and what I needed to do."
Today, it would be difficult to tell Linda had ever been struck by a car - she walks and talks without difficulty. Through the use of prism glasses, she regained her ability to read. Though she sometimes has some difficulty remembering the names of items, her memory is recovering and she needs less help from her husband and family to find the words she needs.
She and Dave, both volunteers now at Madonna and major gift donors to the Madonna@50 campaign, are adamant about why they support the hospital's work.
"Something like this, like an accident, can happen at any time, any place. If it does, you want to have Madonna. Madonna will give you what you need." Linda explains.
Dave says, simply, "God lives at Madonna. He works through the people who help people here."
