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Woodruff Fights for Words

Wounded ABC newsman describes continuing struggle

By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff

Posted Feb 25, 2008 10:40 AM CST
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(Newser) – When ABC's Bob Woodruff reported recently from North Korea, he appeared fully recovered from horrific head injuries he suffered in Iraq. In fact, he has a lingering disorder that could have ended his career as a journalist. He discusses working with expressive aphasia, a struggle to remember words, with Christine Dugas of USA Today—who suffers from it, too.

"I couldn't even remember the word for a hamburger or an egg sandwich," he says. A million Americans with damaged brains also have the condition. Reading and writing helped Woodruff recover most of his language skills—now he tends to forget nouns more than verbs—and he has described his struggle in interviews to draw attention to traumatic brain injuries suffered by many US troops in Iraq.

ABC's Bob Woodruff talks with U.S. soldiers shortly before being injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq. (AP Photo/ABC)
ABC's Bob Woodruff talks with U.S. soldiers shortly before being injured in a roadside bombing in Iraq. (AP Photo/ABC)   (Associated Press)
ABC's Bob Woodruff. Although he is back at work following his recovering from injuries sustained in Iraq, he still has a lingering disorder especially difficult for a journalist to cope with.
ABC's Bob Woodruff. Although he is back at work following his recovering from injuries sustained in Iraq, he still has a lingering disorder especially difficult for a journalist to cope with.   (Getty Images)
Former news anchor Bob Woodruff and wife Lee Woodruff give opening remarks at the NY Comedy Festival Event Stand Up for Heroes
Former news anchor Bob Woodruff and wife Lee Woodruff give opening remarks at the NY Comedy Festival Event "Stand Up for Heroes   (Associated Press)
ABC news correspondent Bob Woodruff, left, waits outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 25, 2007, with other members of the media for a meeting between President Bush. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
ABC news correspondent Bob Woodruff, left, waits outside the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 25, 2007, with other members of the media for a meeting between President Bush....   (Associated Press)
ABC's Bob Woodruff is carried on a stretcher to a C-17 Globemaster medical evacuation plane at Ramstein airbase, southern Germany after being injured in a roadside bombing. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, file)
ABC's Bob Woodruff is carried on a stretcher to a C-17 Globemaster medical evacuation plane at Ramstein airbase, southern Germany after being injured in a roadside bombing. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, file)   (Associated Press)
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Iraq • roadside bomb • stroke • Bob Woodruff • ABC News • expressive aphasia • receptive aphasia • traumatic brain injury • TBI • National Aphasia Association • Lee Woodruff

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