welcome to katherine berke's
website. she had a tragic motorcylce accident on july
30, 2003; we have been beside her assisting her tranformation
since. take a moment to read her journal entry, download
a recent news article, learn about tbi, or see about ways
you can help. thank you for visiting.
ktb status:: June 2009
the years fly by
while we are evolving ... the rest shall be revealed in
the book. the lastest and most significant grand event
is katherine [she has transformed in that way too and
dislikes being called 'katie'] is that after all these
years of hard work, she finally got her permanent top
teeth on May 5th! now she only needs two bottom front
teeth. she is having speech therapy to learn to chew and
eat, as she got used to sucking/gumming her soft food
regimen. kudos and many thanks to all those who helped
in this part of the journey :)
let me just show you how pleased katherine is with her
new teeth instead ...

following is a thank you letter
i wrote to the community and sent it to the local papers,
although i reckon it was not published. the intent is
simply stated:
May 6, 2009
A Heartfelt Thanks
Thanks to the people in our community- extending all the
way to Santa Barbara- who responded to my A Call For
Help letter back in September 2004, today my daughter,
Katherine (a.k.a. Katie) Berke, has teeth to eat with.
In particular, Mr. Raymond Moccia, a Banyan Elementary
School teacher, whose activism led to organizing Smiles
for Katie fundraisers to assist with the extensive multiple
reconstructive jaw surgeries that she needed for eventual
dental implants so she could have teeth. Mr. Moccia was
Katie’s 6th grade teacher in 1992, and upon reading
about the effects of her motorcycle collision in July
2003, he decided to help. His efforts brought together
an extensive team including the Bobcat family from Banyan,
Conejo Dental Group, Redmond/Buto/Alter Orthodontics,
Dr. Shore and the press. Berney Tamborello, our friend,
linked us with The Center for Corrective Jaw Surgery in
Santa Barbara.
At each appointment, whether with Dr. Gunson, Dr. Tamborello,
Dr. Arnett, Dr. Bienstock, Dr. Redmond, Dr. Buto, Dr.
Alter, Dr. Shore, Dr. Zweig, Dr. Chen –and their
too numerous to name outstanding, caring assistants and
office staff, we were treated with dignity and utmost
care. For each surgery scheduled by Drs. Gunson and Bienstock
at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, their team- including
the anesthesiologists- took diligent care of this “scientific
masterpiece” (Dr. Gunson) in the making.
It has been an arduous journey of far more than a thousand
steps, thousands of miles, numerous surgeries, bones restored
and lost, pain-ridden days-a-plenty while forgotten thanks
to TBI, altered states, yet all surrounded by love, jokes,
tears, frustration and laughter. Thanks to the collective
effort to restore her teeth, now Katherine will learn
to eat and enjoy everyday food; something most of us take
for granted.
When I brought Katie home after her long coma from her
severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), doors where closed
regarding her teeth restoration due to her very complex
case, lack of insurance and funding. I refused to accept
this reality. Her life was saved not because we asked,
but due to circumstances beyond our control. Since Katie
was meant to live, she deserved teeth regardless. I accepted
the fact that the driver and driver’s family were
unwilling to assist and chose to move forward believing
that help would come from the goodness that does exist.
It did.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one who joined
us in this part of our journey. Blessings of good health,
love and peace to you.
Verónica Martain-Haverbeck
Newbury Park
veronica
ktb status :: november
10, 2007
updates coming soon.
ktb status :: july 31,
2006
day 1095
today i remember -as if yesterday- that infamous phone
call which changed our lives as we knew. it sends a chill
down my spine remembering her disfigured, lifeless body.
and then, damion’s and his mother’s unforgettable
betrayal – is raw acid upon wounded flesh. my career
and dreams brought to a screeching halt, because i chose
to care for my daughter rather than abandon her to a life
of institutionalizations and abuses.
this year we celebrated her third re-birth among other
survivors, as it was our hugs night. it was most appropriate
indeed.
in her ‘bils y pap’ world, everything is great.
her big smile proves it. and of course, it will be even
better when she gets all the gold and precious jewels
–diamonds, sapphires, and rubies- she has been asking
many for. she wholeheartedly believes that just because
she survived a 45-day coma she deserves these jewels.
all the while, i have been busy intercepting these emails,
letters and phone calls, but many have gotten through.
professionals, phd’s, and experts would fail to
see only what her mother could easily decipher: her quest
with all that glitters and is gold is her desperate reach
for what she lost and does not know how to express. yet
silently in her own abyss she knows all too well the mourning
of the loss of her beloved face that she adorned with
such intricate delicacy from a young age, and for which
she was valued so much and pursued by the opposite sex.
and then, there was her proud $3,000 perfectly straight,
bright-white teeth smile which she wore with such pride.
how many times has she cried to me in this lifetime that
she has no smile and no teeth? countless. of course, almost
daily my reply to her is something like,“but you
do have a beautiful smile and do not ignore and discard
the teeth that you do have darling.”
this month we celebrated ktb's 25th natal birthday and
together with her 3rd survivor birthday. i saved up for
a special journey of sorts. using jet miles, we took a
sojourn to reacquiant ourselves with my foster family
in seattle -the hayes. also, we were eager to meet her
new 'e-friend', ben, who is also a miracle survivor of
a motorcycle collission. his mother, julie, found katherine's
site, and they have been in contact ever since. julie
has been like an angel to katherine, as her daily communication
with ktb is truly priceless. ben's progress is quite remarkable,
and this year against the odds he was able to get his
aa degree. you go ben!
finally, our days still include our walks with our beloved
dog buddy and our regime of scrabble, othello, and possibly
rummikub. we kiss and hug, and i tire oh so of what she
will or not eat. the rule still applies: take it or leave
it. our weeks are always dotted with doctors’ appointments
and medication management; and i spend countless hours
on the telephone doing advocacy work fighting for her
life-dependent benefits.
::veronica
ktb status :: june 2006
working
outside katie’s window doing my ritual sunday gardening,
i heard her call one of her friend’s from her previous
life. “hi, this is katherine. i miss you.”
this triggered once again the many thoughts that had been
dancing my head for so long bringing tears to my eyes.
it forced me to stop my beloved ritual, as i needed to
tell some of what had not been said. would anyone care?
Perhaps not, but more importantly, it is a story worthy
of telling for my peace of mind, for her dignity, and
in honor of the many other tbi survivors who may have
had similar experiences.
yes, she did survive. and, as i have stated before, the
metamorphosis is all too real.
KTB – Survivor of TBI
What she has gotten and not gotten:
A life saved by quick-acting, good samaritan -doctor wareham-
and respiratory therapist at the scene of the accident
Never got the proper eulogy for the person we knew, loved
and lost on that infamous night on the asphalt of the
101 FWY and Rancho Road on 7.30.2003
Received compassion from strangers
Lies and deceit from driver and his mother, in addition
to abandoning all financial and moral responsibility/obligation
for causing a life-altering permanent disability.
A transformed life that continues the transformation;
Yet, WHO SHE WAS NO LONGER EXISTS
A caregiver beside her at all times
Permanent partial vision loss
Lifetime social security benefits as a disabled survivor
of Traumatic Brain Injury
Permanent loss of ability to drive
Stared at as some sort of freak person in public places
Been forgotten/abandoned by friends/acquaintances from
her previous life
Received generosity from the kindness of the community
and strangers
Lost ability to ride a bicycle down the street or in Yosemite
or wherever
Been called a hero
Lost ability to smell, and how she likes perfumes anyway!
:: veronica