PHOENIX (CBS5) -
"This was a star athlete. He was a great, great kid," Consie Skembo said during a physical therapy session for her son.
Today, 27-year-old Max is fighting to regain what he lost two-and-a-half years ago in a motorcycle accident; his ability to walk and talk.
"The more therapy you get, the stronger and faster you change," Skembo says.
But she says the therapy Max can get after injury to his brain is limited. "The insurance will only pay for so much, and that's how much we're getting."
Max's mom has followed Congresswoman Gabby Giffords' remarkable recovery and her continuous, top-notch care.
"I think he'd be where she is if he had the same treatment that she's had," she said.
Another family receiving therapy right now, agrees.
"If people got half of what she's getting, we'd have a lot of people that have traumatic brain injuries, they'd be a lot better off," Melinda Allen, Bryan Keneally's aunt said.
Bryan Keneally was hit by two cars while riding his bicycle last year.
Also last year, AHCCCS drastically cut the number of physical therapy visits allowed under the state's health care coverage.
"It doesn't matter if they have a broken toe or a catastrophic brain injury after a gunshot wound, they get 15 visits per year," says Kaye Wing, owner of Swan Rehab and former president of the Arizona Physical Therapy Association.
She says for those with traumatic brain injuries, 15 sessions a year is barely a drop in the bucket.
For these types of patients, more ongoing therapy translates into more progress, which can make a huge difference.
"It makes all the difference in the world," say Skembo. "They can lay in bed and watch TV for the rest of their lives, or they can be useful citizens, enjoying life."
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