OUR colleague, friend, and mentor, Dr Jeanne Dise-Lewis died on September 18, 2014, from an aggressive type of liver cancer. Dr Dise-Lewis was well known in the world of pediatric brain injury for her investigation of student behaviors and clinical recommendations to assist children, adolescents, and young adults return to school and community after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Jeanne received her BA from Saint Joseph's University, her MS in Human Learning and Development from the University of Pennsylvania, and her PhD in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver. She was a licensed psychologist (Colorado, 1986) and a diplomate in Pediatric Rehabilitation. For the majority of her career, Jeanne served on the faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she rose to the rank of full professor. She served as the Head of Psychology for CU's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for more than 20 years and carried out a parallel role directing the psychology service for Colorado Children's Hospital pediatric rehabilitation units.

Jeanne was an outstanding clinical psychologist, combining keen observational and diagnostic skills with tremendous capacity for empathizing and connecting with pediatric patients and their families. She was skilled in providing interventions, support, and consultation/liaison with other professionals to help children with chronic pain, with spina bifida and other neurodevelopmental disorders, with severe burns, and with severe illnesses and injuries including acquired brain injuries. One of her most wonderful skills was teaching self-hypnosis to children with chronic pain and/or facing frightening medical procedures. Families, themselves in emotional pain and distress, uniformly felt supported and comforted by Jeanne's professional and personal presence as she stood with them during the difficult journey they had to take.

Jeanne's programmatic research agenda focused on recovery patterns of children and adolescents with TBI, most specifically on methods for helping students return successfully to their homes, schools, and communities post-brain injury. Toward this end, Jeanne developed the BrainSTARS (Brain Injury: Strategies for Teams and Re-education for Students) program, a program that included a 300-page manual, a training program, a carefully specified consultation approach, and an applied research component. Largely funded through US Department of Education grant funds, the BrainSTARS program was disseminated to scores of school districts in Colorado, many other states, and several foreign countries as well. The success of the BrainSTARS program has been documented, and data showing notable skill acquisition on the part of parents and school personnel, successful team building, and developmental progress on the part of students have been published in professional journals.

A few comments from professionals and family members illustrate the professional and endearing personal qualities that Jeanne brought to her work:

Jeanne was generous to a flaw. When I invited her to serve as a peer reviewer for the TBI grant programs of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Jeanne accepted without hesitation and returned again to serve in this capacity some time later, despite the many demands for her time and expertise. She played an important role in maintaining the scientific integrity of NIDRR's TBI research portfolio.

My story isn't grand but it is heartfelt. I was the parent on a panel at the TBI Inter-Agency Conference in 2006 who shared "our" story. Jeanne, Ann Glang, and Janet Tyler presented from the professional perch along side of me. Jeanne and the others felt my emotion before, during, and after the panel and what I remember most was Jeanne's genuine warmth and understanding of where I was coming from that day. With gentle reminders she helped me to leave a "take away" message, which at the end of the day, was all I had wanted ... to make someone in the audience that day "do" something with what was learned in our talk to help a child with a TBI and their family.

You are the person who comes along so infrequently with your honesty, love, and knowledge. You meant so much to our family.

Jeanne Dise-Lewis possessed a remarkable combination of clinical expertise with a passion for educating teachers about students with brain injuries. Through her extensive writing and training, she worked systematically to improve both the knowledge base and systems capacity of schools to respond to the unique needs of these children and adolescents.

Jeanne was a professional mentor, a personal friend, and an unbelievable contributor to the success of brain injury supports in Colorado and across the nation. I still feel I catch glimpses of that tall lanky woman with her arms full and the biggest smile coming down a hallway or around a corner. Though she is not physically with us, she will always be with us in spirit, providing guidance and support as we pursue the best supports for children and youth with brain injury.

In July 2007, TBI came into the lives of Jeanne and her family when her son Dan, who was bicycling across America in a Habitat for Humanity event, was struck by a speeding teenage driver in western Kansas. Dan's injuries were catastrophic and survival was in doubt as Jeanne, her husband Hal, and her other 2 children, Katie and Peter, stood by his side along with extended family and a wonderful community of support. For the next 7 years, Jeanne never wavered in terms of her professional commitments; although sometimes exhausted from countless hours of care and fierce dedication to Dan and her family, she continued to provide clinical services, write, research, and mentor others. She also shared her personal story so that others could learn from her.

In the same vein, another colleague commented:

I wrote to Jeanne shortly following her son's accident. In the midst of her own anguish and that of her family, she returned my note with a handwritten note of her own. Even as she sat by her son's side in the hospital, she asked about my newborn son, and urged me to hold my baby close and to treasure every moment of the experience of bringing life from life. Her love as a mother was irrepressible; her ability to share herself was beyond measure.

Jeanne Dise-Lewis walked her journey of TBI from many perspectives. She lived her life fully as a wife, mother, and professional. Her work helped transform the care that children and adolescents with TBI receive. Her humor, compassion, and dedication to her family and clients will continue to serve as an inspiration to the TBI community. Because she was such a dedicated mentor, her vision will move forward through those of us she befriended and taught. Thank you Jeanne, for choosing TBI and teaching us throughout your journey. Your shoes are too big for any one of us to fill, but together we will try.

-Roberta DePompei, PhD

on behalf of the National Collaborative for Children

with Brain Injury

(NCCBI)