America's Heroes at Work Success Story

Jennifer Murphy came from a military family. Her father was an Air Force Officer and her brother a Naval Corpsman. It wasn't until Murphy completed her Associate in Arts degree that she decided it was her calling to join the military and become an officer, too. At that time in her life, there was nothing else in the world she wanted more than to serve her country. So in 2004, she joined the Navy ranks as a Yeoman and soon after found on assignment aboard an Amphibious Assault ship off the coast of Kuwait. On December 18th, only six months into her enlistment, Murphy fell 15 feet headfirst down a ladderwell during a general quarters drill.

Murphy was medivacked off the ship and spent two weeks in Landstuhl and Koblenz Germany in a medically induced coma. Murphy had a closed head wound and a basilar skull fracture. She was not expected to survive. In fact, her parents were informed that there was a better chance Murphy would be coming back to them, than they would have visiting their daughter at her bedside in Germany. This would be her first opportunity (of many) to beat the odds.

Murphy was sent to Bethesda where she awoke with a shaved head and the inability to function independently or complete basic tasks. Her jaw was wired shut, she couldn't move her legs and she had tubes coming out of more places than she had ever dreamed possible. Murphy fractured her C1 vertebrae and had a spinal fusion because of a burst L1 vertebra fracture. She was transferred to the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) unit at James Haley in Tampa and then continued her rehabilitation in Charlottesville, Virginia until May of 2005. She learned to walk, talk and eat again - spending her time in rehab working as hard as she possibly could because she was determined to return to active duty. This would be Murphy's second opportunity to beat the odds.

She returned to the U.S. Navy on limited duty for two more years. During that time, and despite her TBI (with aphasia and migraines), she finished her Bachelors degree in Psychology and earned rank. Her family, including her then boyfriend (now husband) were right there with her, cheering her on and encouraging her every step of the way. When she learned she was "undeployable" due to her injuries, Murphy's self-esteem was at an all time low - and she elected to medically retire in September of 2007.

Murphy decided to continue her education using her VA benefits - but was still a bit uncertain about her future career. In 2009, she had the opportunity to meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) Counselor. It was at this meeting where she decided, "this is what I want to do." She soon discovered a passion for helping her fellow Veterans plan a course for their future. She especially wants to work with those who, similar to herself, find themselves unsure of a future outside of active duty military service. Murphy took advantage of the VA's Non-Paid Work Experience (NPWE) program, where she was able to get her feet wet and see first hand what the job of a VR&E counselor would be like. Finding her passion was Murphy's third chance to beat the odds.

Today, Murphy is finishing her Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling (she graduates in May of 2011) and plans on becoming a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she currently interns for the position. Deciding to continue her education was a tough decision for Murphy, who still experiences difficulty multi-tasking and impaired short-term memory. Murphy chose online education as a pathway to her new career since it offered her the flexibility and repetition she needed to be successful. Completing her education and finding a passion for her future was Murphy's fourth chance to beat the odds.

When asked about the accommodations she puts in place for herself to be successful in both an academic and work environment, Murphy admits that her non-apparent wounds put her in a "catch-22" situation. When you don't appear disabled, people sometimes don't know what to do when you ask them to repeat a statement or when you need to write notes during conversations so you can remember what was discussed. A self-proclaimed "queen of sticky notes," Murphy has developed her own accommodation strategies and has become her own best self-advocate.

"At 27 years old, I have never felt so much passion to do something in my entire life but to help others in similar situations as myself," says Murphy. "We are all returning survivors, regardless of our experiences prior to being a disabled Veteran."

She offers the following pieces of advice for other Veterans experiencing similar issues: apply yourself, don't expect others to hold your hand, take responsibility for your own future and be proud of your achievements.

Murphy says she doesn't think "'woe' is me." She thinks "WOW is me!" Undoubtedly, her spirit and passion will have her continuing to beat the odds and wow her family, her colleagues and her clients - for many decades to come.