Stonington state Sen. Andy Maynard, hurt in household fall, will run for re-election and be able to serve, his family says

Despite a traumatic brain injury that is hampering his recovery, Sen. Andy Maynard is improving and his family expects him to serve if he wins re-election. Here is today’s statement:

andymStonington, CT – Denise Mahoney, State Senator Andrew Maynard’s sister (D-Stonington) released the following statement on behalf of the Maynard Family:

 

“We appreciate your patience and the tremendous outpouring of support for our brother, State Senator Andrew Maynard, during the last six weeks as he has recovered from injuries sustained in a July 21 accident at his home. We certainly understand that many have been frustrated with the limited news regarding Andy’s ongoing recovery and the timetable for such recovery, especially in light of the upcoming election in two months. Please understand that we share those concerns, and that our efforts have been focused on aiding the best possible recovery for our brother.

 

Andrew’s injuries included a fractured scapula and eye socket as well as multiple ribs. These fractures did not require medical intervention and have all healed. He has the use of all of his extremities and there has been no indication that he will regain anything less than a full physical recovery. He also suffered serious trauma to the brain. His recovery has been one of constant and continued improvement. For a number of days after his injury, he was unconscious and there was no way to assess his mental state. For the past few weeks, he has been awake and aware, and more recently participating in physical and occupational therapy. He had an infection last week that was successfully treated and eradicated. Currently, Andy is able to read, eat on his own, and understand questions. He has difficulty speaking—he can answer “yes” and “no” to questions, and is undergoing therapy to regain his full speech. He listens to music, manipulates a smart phone to review texts and photos, and retains his sense of humor. He is slowly but steadily rebuilding his stamina.

 

The medical profession lacks a complete understanding of exactly how the brain heals after trauma and cannot predict a specific recovery timetable for an individual. Each case is different. That said, there has been no diagnosis in Andy’s case that would preclude a full recovery, and his progress has been very encouraging.

 

Given all that we have learned to date, we have no reason to conclude that Andrew would be unable to fulfill the duties of his office, which he loves and pursues with great passion, should he be re-elected this fall. We will do our utmost to provide frequent updates regarding his progress so that the people of his district can be informed. We thank all of you who have reached out to Andy and his family, and hope you will join us in our sincere and strong belief that our brother’s best days and greatest contributions are ahead.”