Jan. 2, 2006

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation accepts $15,000 for brain injury endowment fund

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By Michael Ford
University News Service

Brooke Anne Hunter (from right), Jeff’s attorney; Chip Kalbaugh, Jeff’s attorney; Frank Gill, Jeff’s father; Barbara Gill, Jeff’s mother; J.F “Jeff” Gill Jr., former traumatic brain injury patient; Marie Walker, Jeff’s sister; Jeffrey S. Kreutzer, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of PMR research division; and David Cifu, M.D., PMR chair; gather for the check presentation to the department’s traumatic brain injury endowment fund. Photo by Jennifer Watson, VCU Creative Services
Brooke Anne Hunter (from right), Jeff’s attorney; Chip Kalbaugh, Jeff’s attorney; Frank Gill, Jeff’s father; Barbara Gill, Jeff’s mother; J.F “Jeff” Gill Jr., former traumatic brain injury patient; Marie Walker, Jeff’s sister; Jeffrey S. Kreutzer, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of PMR research division; and David Cifu, M.D., PMR chair; gather for the check presentation to the department’s traumatic brain injury endowment fund. Photo by Jennifer Watson, VCU Creative Services

A South Boston man who survived a traumatic brain injury returned with his family to the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center to present a $15,000 gift and to thank the doctors and health care providers who helped with his rehabilitation.

The donation was made in December at the annual holiday party for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

On April 25, 1998, J.F. “Jeff” Gill was farming a piece of property in Lunenburg County when a cable that was towing machinery broke off, flew into the side of his head and left him with a traumatic brain injury.

Gill’s mother said surgeons at VCU Medical Center had to remove a fist-sized amount of damaged brain tissue, but the procedure saved her son’s life. Afterward he remained in a coma for six weeks. Barbara Gill said she expected her son would not be able to function independently, would never walk and would need a respirator for the rest of his life.

Gill endured more than four years of therapy and rehabilitation to beat the odds and regain a great deal of independence.

“He is walking, talking, dressing himself and has resumed farming,” said Barbara Gill. “Jeff operates machinery and even drives a tractor. We really are so grateful to Dr. Cifu and Dr. Kreutzer and everyone at VCU who was a part of his rehabilitation.”

Gill received a settlement from worker’s compensation, and his attorneys, Chip Kalbaugh and Brooke Anne Hunter, arranged to contribute a portion of his legal fees for the donation.

David X. Cifu, M.D., chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, announced that the department would match the $15,000 gift to establish the J.F. Gill, Jr. Lecture each year to promote public awareness of traumatic brain injury.

“We already host an annual three-day conference on traumatic brain injury and I think this new lecture can be a signature item to bring attention to the rehabilitation needs of people with brain injury,” Cifu said.

“Jeff and his family never gave up and that is a big piece of it,” he said.

The VCU Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is ranked among the top 20 programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The department has grant funded research investigating traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, return-to-work for people with disabilities and pain management. Other department programs focus on stroke, neural tumors, pediatric disability, pulmonary rehabilitation, limb deficiency and sports medicine.