Robert “Blaine” Rogers 4/20/1994—3/19/16 Peace has come to Robert “Blaine” Rogers, a remarkable young man, who at the tender age of 21, has given the gift of life to untold others so that as his journey ended theirs were allowed to continue. Blaine, as he was known to friends and family here and abroad, passed away peacefully March 19, 2016, at his home in Coppell, Texas, from complications due to a severe traumatic brain injury he suffered as a result of a skateboarding accident in 2011. COOL, CALM AND FEARLESS At the time of his accident, Blaine—a then-16-year-old known for his fearlessness on wheels and love of all types of adventure, especially rock climbing—defied the odds by emerging from a 10-day coma, startling his doctors and family by getting up and asking to go home so he could get back to his passions, including his favorite subjects of science and technology at New Tech High School in Coppell, Texas. And over the past five years, Blaine continued to beat the odds. He was determined to not let his brain injuries limit his goal of pursuing his interests in the fields of medicine and science. He excelled in researching the frustrating and unpredictable world of traumatic brain injuries, using himself as an example. He often astounded his doctors by his intricate knowledge of his condition and possible therapies. Within six months of his accident, Blaine had recovered his superior cognitive rating—something his doctors had not thought possible at the time but which his family knew was possible as Blaine’s intellect was recognized early when testing revealed he was gifted in all subject areas “across the board.” Blaine attacked every aspect of TBI with the same cool logic and analytical precision that permeated all aspects of his life. He treated his injury and its repercussions as a challenge to solve, much like the intricate puzzles and brain games he loved to play. And throughout his long battle with this debilitating, vexing and often chronically painful condition, he shared his interests, optimism and insights online with people all over the world, most notably striking up friendships with like-minded souls in countries such as Croatia and England. In fact, he recently planned to learn Japanese to further his communication skills with people of other cultures so that he could eventually continue his love of travel as he had already had opportunities to travel to England, France, Germany, Mexico, and Australia. STUBBORN DETERMINATION This fierce determination to overcome his injury never surprised his family. His mother Pam Rogers, a teacher in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, knew his stubborn determination well. Even as a small child, Blaine would set his sights on a goal and would not let anything get in the way–especially if adventure was involved. One of her favorite memories of Blaine is of a school trip to Australia when he was in 6th grade. Having become fascinated by the Great Barrier Reef, Blaine convinced his mother and two teachers to let him become certified in scuba diving and wound up being the only child fearless enough to go on a deep-water dive of the reef. Not even a broken hand deterred this 10-year-old from competing in a Tae Kwon Do test to obtain his “Red” belt. Determined to compete, he completed the fighting portion with his right hand behind his back, and then broke the ceremonial board with his foot because his hand was out of commission. “DR.” ROGERS His interest in all things medical became evident during childhood, as well. His mother remembers the astonishment of his pediatrician when Blaine self-diagnosed his own kidney stone at age 8. Stunned when the results confirmed the child’s diagnosis, the doctor told him, “Dude, you need to be a doctor someday.” More than 12 years later, that same sentiment was echoed by a research physician at UT Southwestern who reviewed Blaine’s traumatic brain injury and commented that this TBI patient (Blaine) understood TBI better than most medical students. Blaine, he said, had a gift for understanding the interactions of complex body systems. LIVING LEGACY That confirmation deeply pleased Blaine because he often told his family that his unique experience with TBI had made him realize that he wanted to make sure his life and his interest in innovative medical therapies mattered in a positive way. He said he wanted to have an impact on others, especially those suffering from chronic pain. With the completion of his multiple organ donations to several recipients, Blaine’s mission is well under way. Blaine’s family asks that, in lieu of flowers, others may be inspired to follow Blaine’s lead and make a donation to the American Chronic Pain Association using the link https://theacpa.org/Support-the-ACPA dedicated to the memory of Blaine so that his remarkable life and legacy will become a sustaining reality for generations to come. Left to cherish his memory are his mother Pamela Lynn Rogers, father James Robert Rogers, grandmother Henrietta Horoda, aunts and uncles, his dog Tickles, and numerous other relatives and friends.
↧
Blaine Rogers
↧