Central High School DEMCO Essay Winners

Essays in the 2015 DEMCO Rural Electric Youth Tour Essay Contest were submitted from 12 schools from the seven-parish DEMCO service area.  Then 12 finalists were chosen to present their essays before a panel of judges March 3 at White Oak Plantation.
Of the 12 finalists, six were from Central High!
Grant Falcon, Madison Hadden, Sarah Pursifull, Lizzie Wicker, Lexi David, and Kylie Yglesias of Central High all gave compelling speeches.
Here is Lexi David’s winning speech on the devastating effects of traumatic brain injury:

Is Negligence Worth the Risk?
What would your last words be to someone you love? What would you say?
It never occurred to me that I might have to say goodbye. I was walking to my mom’s hospital room the night of her accident, faced with the reality that people are not invulnerable.
Doctors don’t always have all the answers.
I discovered that my mother was in a coma as a result of a traumatic brain injury, and that other than stabilizing her and making sure her vitals were in check, there was nothing more the doctors knew to do.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as nondegenerative, noncongenital insult to the brain from an external mechanical force, possibly leading to permanent or temporary impairment of cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functions, with an associated diminished or altered state of consciousness.
In other words, it’s a severe brain injury that can weaken a person’s thinking, motor, and social skills.  Each year TBIs contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability.
According to the Brain Trauma Foundation, at least 5.3 million Americans currently live with disabilities as a result of TBIs, and an estimated 52,000 deaths occur from TBIs yearly. The most significant fact about this type of injury is that, unlike many diseases, TBIs differ from person to person in both severity and location within the brain. This means that there is no definite treatment or cure for them, especially in the case that the injury results in a coma.
Though TBIs may not have a set treatment or cure, they all have a common way of prevention: Safety and awareness within a community.
The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that brain injuries are most often caused by motor vehicle crashes, sports injuries, or simple falls on the playground, at work or in the home. The occurrence of these types of injuries can be lessened by making a few small, but crucial changes in not only our everyday lives, but also our community.
As individuals, it is our job to take the previsions necessary to keep our brains and those around us safe.
One of the simplest ways to do this is to take into deep consideration the importance of a helmet. Whether it be while playing contact sports or taking part in potentially dangerous activities such as horseback riding, bicycling/motorcycling, ATV riding, or skateboarding, a helmet should be worn at all times by people of all ages.
Adults should also keep a close eye on children, especially when visiting more risky places, such as playgrounds or swimming pools. People should never assume they are too old or experienced to apply these safeties in their everyday lives.
As a community, we should work together to educate the public on how important this safety is. Signs should be placed in different locations to remind the community of the potential dangers of not wearing a helmet or being careful when partaking in certain activities. Safety laws, such as motor vehicle operating age and riding capacity, should also be more strongly enforced within the community.
These are just a few of the many ways to lessen the amount of traumatic brain injuries that occur within your community. Though they may seem unimportant or somewhat pointless, they can make all the difference in the severity of an accident.
To better emphasize the need for safety precautions, I’d like to share with you a little more of my mother’s story. Last August marked the one-year anniversary of her accident. It also marked the end of an entire year in which I was not able to hold a conversation with her. Though she has made many improvements, she is still in a comatose state. This keeps her from being able to partake in the activities of her daily life, or watch those of her children.
All this because she got in an ATV accident. She wasn’t wearing a helmet.
With this in mind, I now hope you understand not only the importance of taking precautions to prevent traumatic brain injuries, but also the dangers of ignoring them.