Strength after Struggle
Logan's heart attack made her life more difficult. But it also made her spirit stronger.
Logan Olson expected the haunted house to be scary. She did not expect her visit to change her life forever.
Yet once inside the dark house on Halloween of 2001, Logan collapsed to the floor. Her heart stopped beating. "Call 911 !" shouted her terrified cousin. Logan's dad, Tim, and another man performed CPR. Still, Logan didn't breathe.
By the time paramedics arrived and Logan's heart started beating again, her brain was badly damaged. She slipped into a coma. No one knew if she'd live.
Starting Over
Logan doesn't remember the helicopter ride to a hospital in Spokane, Washington. Because of her brain injury, she recalls little of the seven months she spent in medical centers.
When she first woke from the coma, Logan thought she was a little girl. She was actually a 16-year-old student with a job, a boyfriend, and a driver's license. Now, though, she couldn't even talk or raise her head.
Day after day, Logan struggled to simply sit up. "Why did this happen to me?;' she remembers thinking. "I want my life back. Dating, driving, working, I had it all. Then bam! Goodbye."
She was frustrated by her slow recovery. "I had to fight every day to walk, to eat, to drink, to sit, to stand. It wasn't easy." She also sometimes passed out when the blood flow to her head decreased.
Logan was born with a heart problem. By age 16, she'd already had six operations to fix it. Eight months before that Halloween, a weak part of her heart was replaced with a valve from a pig. The stronger valve may have saved Logan's life, says her mom, Laurie.
"I'm part pig," Logan jokes. Logan had always hoped to work as a makeup artist or model someday. But her stiff fingers made it hard to put on makeup and button her favorite jeans.
Her mom searched stores for products that would be easier to use. For instance, Logan can handle wide makeup sticks. A rubber pencil grip helps her hold eyeliner steady. These discoveries inspired Logan and her mom to create a magazine for girls with disabilities. They wanted to share helpful fashion and makeup tricks.
A teen fashion magazine was just what Logan needed. To meet with photographers and advertisers, she would have to speak more clearly. She began working extra hard in speech therapy. She repeated sentences such as, "Let's go to Nordstrom and buy shoes"
Logan took her walker to the mall to study the latest fashions. She quickly became stronger and more coordinated. She passed out once in JC Penney. It didn't keep her away.
Proudest Moment
Logan faced another major challenge in the classroom. She'd missed so much school that her younger brother, T.J., was set to graduate before her. Logan's teachers knew she was studying hard. They offered to let her cross the stage first. In return, she would finish classes the next school year.
Logan's parents were afraid she would fall. But Logan was determined to graduate before T.J. She also insisted on wearing new stylish shoes.
Logan was nervous and tripped three times before the ceremony. Still; she safely crossed the stage while the audience clapped and cheered. It was Logan's proudest moment.
A Better Person
Five years after her haunted house heart attack, Logan's life is far from easy. She misses friends who drifted away to busy social lives. She longs to drive a shiny Ford F-150 but settles for a motorized shopping cart.
There are many things Logan can no longer do. Instead, she stays busy with Other fun and challenging activities. That includes this fall's debut of Logan Magazine. As creative director, she gets to attend workshops and fashion shows. She also models trendy clothes, sometimes sitting in her wheelchair.
Memory problems still haunt Logan, who's now 21. She can type business plans but often forgets her computer password. Two detailed calendars help her remember meetings.
Logan believes she's a better person this Halloween. She has become more mature, and far more compassionate, she says. "I had it all back then. But I've gained even more now through everything that's happened to me."
By Jeanette White
Logan Olson expected the haunted house to be scary. She did not expect her visit to change her life forever.
Yet once inside the dark house on Halloween of 2001, Logan collapsed to the floor. Her heart stopped beating. "Call 911 !" shouted her terrified cousin. Logan's dad, Tim, and another man performed CPR. Still, Logan didn't breathe.
By the time paramedics arrived and Logan's heart started beating again, her brain was badly damaged. She slipped into a coma. No one knew if she'd live.
Starting Over
Logan doesn't remember the helicopter ride to a hospital in Spokane, Washington. Because of her brain injury, she recalls little of the seven months she spent in medical centers.
When she first woke from the coma, Logan thought she was a little girl. She was actually a 16-year-old student with a job, a boyfriend, and a driver's license. Now, though, she couldn't even talk or raise her head.
Day after day, Logan struggled to simply sit up. "Why did this happen to me?;' she remembers thinking. "I want my life back. Dating, driving, working, I had it all. Then bam! Goodbye."
She was frustrated by her slow recovery. "I had to fight every day to walk, to eat, to drink, to sit, to stand. It wasn't easy." She also sometimes passed out when the blood flow to her head decreased.
Logan was born with a heart problem. By age 16, she'd already had six operations to fix it. Eight months before that Halloween, a weak part of her heart was replaced with a valve from a pig. The stronger valve may have saved Logan's life, says her mom, Laurie.
"I'm part pig," Logan jokes. Logan had always hoped to work as a makeup artist or model someday. But her stiff fingers made it hard to put on makeup and button her favorite jeans.
Her mom searched stores for products that would be easier to use. For instance, Logan can handle wide makeup sticks. A rubber pencil grip helps her hold eyeliner steady. These discoveries inspired Logan and her mom to create a magazine for girls with disabilities. They wanted to share helpful fashion and makeup tricks.
A teen fashion magazine was just what Logan needed. To meet with photographers and advertisers, she would have to speak more clearly. She began working extra hard in speech therapy. She repeated sentences such as, "Let's go to Nordstrom and buy shoes"
Logan took her walker to the mall to study the latest fashions. She quickly became stronger and more coordinated. She passed out once in JC Penney. It didn't keep her away.
Proudest Moment
Logan faced another major challenge in the classroom. She'd missed so much school that her younger brother, T.J., was set to graduate before her. Logan's teachers knew she was studying hard. They offered to let her cross the stage first. In return, she would finish classes the next school year.
Logan's parents were afraid she would fall. But Logan was determined to graduate before T.J. She also insisted on wearing new stylish shoes.
Logan was nervous and tripped three times before the ceremony. Still; she safely crossed the stage while the audience clapped and cheered. It was Logan's proudest moment.
A Better Person
Five years after her haunted house heart attack, Logan's life is far from easy. She misses friends who drifted away to busy social lives. She longs to drive a shiny Ford F-150 but settles for a motorized shopping cart.
There are many things Logan can no longer do. Instead, she stays busy with Other fun and challenging activities. That includes this fall's debut of Logan Magazine. As creative director, she gets to attend workshops and fashion shows. She also models trendy clothes, sometimes sitting in her wheelchair.
Memory problems still haunt Logan, who's now 21. She can type business plans but often forgets her computer password. Two detailed calendars help her remember meetings.
Logan believes she's a better person this Halloween. She has become more mature, and far more compassionate, she says. "I had it all back then. But I've gained even more now through everything that's happened to me."
By Jeanette White
posted by James at 5:23 PM
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