Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Summer 2012 | Page 14

A lu m n i in t h e N ews

Face Off for a Cause

The life of Michael T. Goulet inspires
creation of the MTG Foundation

The life of Saco resident and class of
2008 graduate Michael Tyler Goulet
inspired the founding of the Michael
T. Goulet Traumatic Brain Injury and
Epilepsy Foundation in February of
2011.

of further medical care. Two years
later, Michael developed a seizure
disorder that required frequent visits
to the neurologist, further testing, hospitalizations, and daily psychotropic
medication.

rent estimates indicate that 6 million
people in the United States live with
permanent disability resulting from
a traumatic brain injury. The MTG
Foundation is looking to intervene in
these horrible statistics.

TA alums Danielle Goulet ‘00,
Candace Goulet
Laliberte ’02, and
John Laliberte ’01
have joined with
other family members, specialists, and health
care professionals to volunteer their
service to the Board of Trustees and
honor their memory of Michael.

Despite these obstacles, Michael
went on to attend St. Joseph’s College in Windham, Maine and majored
in Psychology. After graduation, he
planned to pursue graduate studies in
psychology and work with other brain
injury survivors. However, on October
6, 2010 Michael suffered a Grand Mal
seizure and passed away from medical complications at Maine Medical
Center. Goulet family members have
tried to emulate Michael’s courage
by acknowledging the scope of brain
injury nationally, and by making a difference.

Less than a year after Michael’s
tragic death, The MTG Foundation
established itself as a 501c3 organization and hosted their first large
fundraiser: Face Off For A Cause.
Face Off is a charity hockey game
that includes live and silent auctions.
With the proceeds raised from the
event, the Foundation has been able
to award grants to the University
of New England’s Center for Excellence in Neurosciences, and The
Brain Injury Information Network
of Maine. The UNE grant will help
support three projects this summer,
all of which are related to educating
students about brain injuries, as well
as preventative measures.

In February of 2003, at the age of
thirteen, Michael suffered a traumatic brain injury in a snowmobile
accident. Transported via life flight
to Eastern Maine Medical Center, he
underwent immediate brain surgery
that saved his life. His recovery
included weeks in a coma, months
of intensive rehabilitation, and years

Libby ‘70 Receives
Public Service Award
Gene R. Libby ‘70 has received the
2012 Public Service Award. Shortly after
graduation, Gene married his high school
sweetheart, Mary Kerry Libby. They have
four children, Jessica, Katie, Matthew,
and Lindsay, all Thornton Academy
graduates.
On March 7, 1997, Mary lost her