PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE

Saturday, December 27, 1997

Dancer's recovery from brain injury chronicled by husband on Internet

By MADELINE BARO / Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON (AP) -- Laurie Sepulvado's life has become a real Web page-turner.

The 35-year-old mother of two, a lifelong dancer who has spent the last decade in a successful country and western dance partnership with her husband, is recovering from an accident that left her brain-injured.

Her husband, Larry Sepulvado, 49, has turned her daily recovery into an online journal, accessed every day, he says, by about 400 to 600 people.

The "Laurie" Web site offers Mrs. Sepulvado's current medical status, details on the accident, a list of her injuries, dates for fund-raisers and even a set of "frequently asked questions."

Sepulvado said he started the site to keep track of his wife's recovery and was surprised by the number of people who were following it like a soap opera.

"For me, right now, I think of it just as a journal that the kids can read 10 or 15 years from now or she might get in a place where she could actually read it," Sepulvado said.

Larry and Laurie Sepulvado met in the 1980s, during what Sepulvado describes as the "urban cowboy" period. They married 12 years ago and then started their competitive career.

"When I first met her she was like tops in her field," Sepulvado said. "It took a few years before I got good enough."

The Sepulvados opened their own dance studio in Houston, named Step'n Style, devised a line of instructional videos and hosted a number of dance events on the United Country & Western Dance Council circuit, most recently the Eighth Annual Texas Classic Dance Event in May.

In January, the Sepulvados earned the 1997 UCWDC World Champion title in the Champions division.

On Aug. 21, Mrs. Sepulvado was driving in the family van behind a 12-wheel trailer-truck carrying bricks. Her 18-month-old daughter, Tyler, was strapped into her car seat in the back seat. The truck stopped to make a U-turn and Mrs. Sepulvado slammed into the rear of the trailer at about 60 mph.

Tyler survived with just a few scratches, but the impact caused Mrs. Sepulvado's brain to shake violently. Both her legs were fractured and she sustained a serious injury to her left arm as well as a collapsed lung. Doctors also had to remove part of her skull and brain tissue from her right lower temporal lobe because of severe brain swelling.

The ultimate effect of Mrs. Sepulvado's injuries has not been determined, but she is working on her walking and motor skills in therapy.

Dr. Cindy Ivanhoe, director of the brain injury program at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, or TIRR, where Mrs. Sepulvado is recovering, said Mrs. Sepulvado's ability to speak and communicate has been improving.

In four months, she's come a long way from lying in a hospital bed, in an induced coma, and later able only to open her right eye in a blinking stare.

"I'm sure she's already gone a lot further than most people expected and she's still going to do a lot better than she is now," Dr. Ivanhoe said.

Sepulvado attributes the improvement partly to his wife's competitive nature.

"Laurie is just a real rock-solid person, very calm and she's competitive," Sepulvado said. "She has a real healthy attitude about competing. It's always been about how good you can be."

The accident has taken a financial toll on the Sepulvado family, which also includes 11-year-old Austin. Thanks to fund-raisers organized by members of the dance community, Sepulvado said, he's been able to cover his house and car payments, but he's had to close the dance studio after a decade.

Sepulvado, who spends about six hours a day at TIRR, said he just doesn't have time to slow down.

"I guess to not keep going would mean I was kind of like giving up hope," he said. "I guess if I stop and look at it, it's pretty scary, so I don't really want to stop and look at it."

------

Larry Sepulvado's Web site can be accessed at www.stepnstyle.com