Survivor Stories

Ann Boriskie

The former elementary school teacher and corporate executive suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury during a 1998 car crash. She was left unable to work because of chronic pain and memory loss, and struggled to heal physically and emotionally.

Read more about Ann hitting rock bottom and her steadfast determination to overcome the obstacles in her new life.

Ann was awarded one of the eleven 2011 Community Service Awards from WXIA 11-Alive for creating, developing, and implementing the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association®.

Watch this YouTube video about Ann and our association.

Listen to two interviews, Part 1 and Part 2, about Ann’s wreck and about the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association. These interviews were created by Greg Goldberg of TBI TALKS.

Mike Abercrombie

Mike is a brain injury survivor and a valued Peer Visitor for the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association. His car accident occurred in May, 1993. He was in a coma for 40 days. He then went to Inpatient Rehabilitation until August 5, 1993, and Outpatient Rehabilitation for 4 months, and then was released December 24, 1993. He returned to work in 1994. In 1995, he returned to college where he graduated with a BS Psychology degree in 1999.

Mike is a certified Occupational Therapy Aide and a certified Brain Injury Specialist. Mike is LIVING PROOF that rehabilitation WORKS, and he’s living proof that all of the compensatory strategies that Mike practices and teaches DO WORK.

Do you need help with doing your daily activities?

Do you need help living each day?

Read more about Mike and his rehabilitation services. Learn how to regain your independence and take care of yourself.

Steve Ambrose

Steve sustained a brain stem injury on the basketball court at the age of 27. He was born in Chicago, and was a Triathlete previous to his injury. Steve has a passion for life. He is an active member of The Seminole Spirit Support Group. He also swims and works out at the YMCA every week.

Read Steve’s story and watch his video.

Linda Arms

Linda is a TBI survivor. Her accident happened in 2006 when she became “Mina Kitty.” As part of her recovery process, Linda went onto the Web for information about brain injury. She has created a website with a simple format with access to clearly presented information. Linda says, “My goal is to educate others about brain injury, provide resources, and promote good brain health.”

Read Linda’s own story and visit her website, The Brain Fairy.

Jack Banbury

Jack Banbury’s story of a brain injury begins while he was in Medical School. He was injured when he was making a tackle during a Rugby game. Jack’s frontal temporal area was injured. He was in a coma and had surgery.

Jack is sharing his life’s story to help others better understand brain injury and what it is like for the survivor of a brain injury. He  hopes he can help the caregivers understand how to help their brain injury love one. In Jack’s own words: “A survivor is not stupid; they are simply brain injured. The survivor already has had so much happen to them, so try to understand them, give them time, and treat them special, and do not put them down.”

Kathleen S. Bartl

Kathleen Bartl tells the story of how her poor decision-making to ask her “beautiful thoroughbred to jump a more than reasonable jump” – changed the outcome of her life. Kathleen had “severe damage to her brain stem and to most other brain sections due to the shearing that took place on impact” of falling from her horse.

Kathleen tells her remarkable story of rehabilitation and recovery in her memoir book, THE FALL – A MEMOIR – TBI – From Injury to Recovery Outside the Box.

Read part of Kathleen’s story.

Liz Bell

Liz has been a Brain Injury Peer Visitor for 10 years on our Shepherd team in the ABI-MW Unit. Liz is a survivor of a car wreck back in 1998.

Read Liz’s amazing story here (PDF).

Emily Beul

Emily is a survivor of what was called a “fatal car wreck” – but she survived. Emily is so thankful for her car wreck: “I have this new life to live.”

Read more of Emily’s story.

Joey Buchanan

Joey Buchanan is a true HERO in today’s world. After Joey extinguished a housefire, a 50 lb. load of sheetrock fell from a vaulted ceiling over 8 feet high and struck him on his head. From that day forward, Joey’s life would be changed forever – from his “mild brain injury” sustained that fateful day.

Read a few paragraphs in Joey’s own words as he explains, “So that others . . . may understand.”

Trina Chambers-Bradlee

A young mother of twins had horrible headaches — not just exhaustion from caring for twins, but a CT Scan showed a dark area in her brain. The story goes on from here.

After three brain surgeries, Trina survived to tell this wonderful story — and to help others by running three different groups that support brain injury survivors and their caregivers and loved ones.

Courtney Clark

Courtney Clark was in a horrific truck accident on the freeway over 20 years ago. The truck he was driving was hit by another truck, then flipped three times to land on the median. He was ejected from the truck, and then the truck hood hit his body. He sustained both a brain injury and spinal cord injury.

Read Courtney’s inspiring story.

Michael Coss

Michael Coss is the survivor of a car wreck back in 2006. He will tell you that his life was changed forever, and it’s been changed for the good. Michael is also the 2012 Recipient of The Courage to Come Back Award.

Michael’s desire is that his remarkable story and this inspirational YouTube video about Michael will serve as much-needed hope for other TBI survivors and their loved ones.

He has also written a book, The Courage to Come Back: Triumph Over TBI – A Story of Hope, as an inspiration to other brain injury survivors and also to their family members, and to also let the general public know about the benefits of hyperbaric chambers.

Del-Rita Gibson Crapps

Del-Rita’s story is like many other brain injury survivors — the doctors did not diagnose her problem for over a year. She went to doctor after doctor and had numerous tests done.

Del-Rita was a Chicago high school teacher. One of her students brutally attacked her in the school hallway, leaving her with a fractured skull and broken nose — and a traumatic brain injury.

Read Del-Rita’s journey in her own words.

Willie Daniels

On January 31, 2002, I was shot 7 times — four times to the head and three to the body. I was left for dead, lying alone for two days bleeding to death; then God sent an angel that found me. My recovery was difficult; many people thought I wouldn’t make it. I wanted to give up. I thought my mountain was too high to overcome.

Then God spoke to me and said, “I spared your life for a reason.” I then understood my mission was to spread my testimony to encourage other brain injury patients as well as gunshot victims through organizations like the BRAIN INJURY PEER VISITOR ASSOCIATION and VICTIMS OF CRIME.

To hear more concerning my remarkable recovery, tune in to my YouTube page, Saints Keepin it Real.

Randy Davis

Read Randy’s amazing story. He was shot twice in the head when only a Junior in high school. He went on to finish a law degree, work in law enforcement for over 10 years, and become an Army reservist. He even scaled Pike’s Peak twice!

Please read on . . . Randy is a true inspiration.

Sarah Deberry

Sarah Deberry was just eight years old when she dashed across the street for ice cream and was hit by a car. Paralyzed and in a coma for eight days, no one thought she’d make it, let alone be able to do anything with her life.

In her book, My Second Chance at Life, Sarah recounts the childhood accident that resulted in near-death injuries and how she fought to overcome every roadblock to living a full and rewarding life despite her TBI. She shares how she coped with guilt, anger, bullying, and frustration along the way. But her most overpowering message is one of hope and tenacity.

In addition to being a celebrated author, Sarah earned her college degree and Certificate of Medical Administration, all while holding down seven jobs.

Read Sarah’s uplifting story.

Alison Delgado

Alison was 27 years old, graduated from medical school, recently married, and was in residency training to become a pediatrician when she was struck by a car while riding her bicycle. She had a severe bleed around her brain and was not expected to survive the night much less return to work someday. But within six months, she did return to her residency program and a year and a half later, she completed a marathon, beating her previous best time by two minutes. Alison has now published a book, My Race for life, finding new strength after tragedy, with a hope to inspire others to continue to push forward and to follow their dreams.

Read about Alison’s uplifting determination.

Tammi Diaz

Twenty years ago Tammi was crossing the street and was hit by a car – injured both bodily and in her brain.

Read how Tammi is celebrating her life and the anniversary of her accident. (“I am no longer angry . . . A person’s life does not have to end just because they are disabled.”)

Alex Diaz-Granados

Alex Diaz-Granados is both a writer and blogger. He has lived his life from birth with cerebral palsy.

Read Alex’s story and more about a great website about cerebral palsy he supports, CerebralPalsyGuidance.com.

Karla Dougan

in 2016 Karla was in a bad car wreck. She was a patient at both Shepherd Center and Shepherd Pathways. The Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program Peer Visited with both Karla and Karla’s parents. Karla has now returned to college at the University of Georgia. She and her dad, a UGA professor, have helped change the UGA policies about who can be a Presidential Scholar and make the Dean’s List, even if they are disabled and are carrying a reduced caseload.

Read about the policy change in the AJC, and watch this Hero Award video, where both Karla and her mom are interviewed on behalf of Ann Boriskie and the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association and Program.

Melissa Durand

Melissa is a former Shepherd Center brain injury patient. She was in a serious head-on collision on her way to church.

Read Melissa’s amazing story (PDF) in Shepherd’s Spinal Column, Return to Practicing Dentistry, about her determination and hard work in rehabilitation which enabled her to return to her practice as a dentist.

Bryan Durio

When he was only 19 years old, Bryan was in a car wreck he shouldn’t have survived — a head-on collision with a drunk driver on a highway — and his life as he had known it ended. He spent five weeks in a coma with a severe brain stem injury, and his left side was completely paralyzed.

Read about Bryan’s ordeal and inspiring road to recovery.

And read his mom’s (almost) daily progress notes throughout Bryan’s six weeks in the hospital.

Chris Falco

Chris is a great Brain Injury Peer Visitor in Naples, Florida at Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging and Rehabilitation. He is a living example of hope to other brain injury survivors that “you can make it.” He is also successfully working part time at Home Depot. Chris had an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) in his brain.

Read about Chris’s diagnoses in the beginning from a family member, Nadine.

Archie Fife

Archie loved his job of driving his big rig truck 17 to 18 hours a day. He spent time with his family and enjoyed golf, fishing, playing pool, camping, and watching sports car racing. Then on a snowy day during whiteout conditions, Archie’s life would forever change. He hit another truck and was in a coma for 9 months.

Read Archie’s story in his own words.

Randal Flutur

Randal is a brain injury survivor of 27 years from an auto accident. His life drastically changed on that day. He says that living with a brain injury is “like living with an unforgiving enemy that requires and demands that you be its constant and forever companion.”

Read Randal’s survivor story, and buy his book, The Stranger Inside of Me.

Richard Garneau

Richard is a motorcycle accident survivor who is giving back to others by being a Brain Injury Peer Visitor.

Read Richard’s story, including having his belief system changed from non-believing to a recognition of God’s role in our lives.

TJ Glavin

TJ Glavin is the Action Sports Star/Host of The Challenge.

This YouTube video shows TJ performing a stunt on his bike – and then crashing, incurring extreme brain trauma. TJ encourages all brain-injured and all disabled individuals to recognize the disability, respect the ability, and imagine the possibility.

Bart Goldstein

Bart Goldstein was only 16 when he suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car accident in 2001. Bart’s story is told from his father, Joel’s, point of view. Bart’s story chronicles his own family’s ordeal after Bart’s TBI. This story is full of flashbacks in Bart’s life since he arrived in Korea to live, at the age of 5 months.

The Goldstein family considered every possibility in their search for remedies to help correct Bart’s catastrophic injuries. These alternatives included craniosacral, hyperbaric oxygen, sensory learning, vision restoration therapy, and more.

To learn more about Bart Goldstein’s Survivor Story, read the book written by Joel Goldstein, Bart’s dad, No Stone Unturned: A Father’s Memoir of His Son’s Encounter with Traumatic Brain Injury.

You can purchase Joel’s book from Amazon.com.

Greg Goldberg

Greg works at The Cridge Centre for the Family and deals with brain injuries. Greg produces podcasts with TBI survivors sharing their stories, called TBI TALKS.

Greg’s story shares how his traumatic brain injury affected his life, past and present, and he shares his innermost emotions.

Geo Gosling

Geo was in a serious bicycle accident when he was 25 years old. Geo’s experiences led him to write two books, TBI Hell and TBI Purgatory. In Geo’s own words, “These books are in no way medical. They are not Rah! Rah! Work hard and everything will be fine! They are just me telling about all of the trials and tribulations that I have had to — and continue to — endure as a result of having an injured brain.”

Read Geo’s story and click the links above to read about and purchase Geo’s two TBI books.

DuWayne Hall

DuWayne, a mental health worker in a hospital Psych ward, was an avid motorcycle rider who one day had to lay down his bike to avoid a car that pulled out in front of him. He incurred massive injuries, both external and internal, and required years of therapy. Having to relearn how to perform everyday tasks and basically how to live again, ten years later he slipped and broke his neck. Eighteen years into his disability, he was hit by a truck when walking across a street.

Read DuWayne’s personal account of how his life has completely changed and how every day is a challenge for him as a TBI survivor.

Mark Halvorsen

Mark is a brain injury survivor who fell from the roof of his screened-in porch May 1, 1999. Read Mark’s story here.

Mark is a Peer Visitor for the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association and is also the originator and leader of an extremely active brain injury support group called The Seminole Spirit. Mark started his group in January 2005 with his Speech Pathologist, Katherine T. Peyton. The Seminole Spirit is a language brain injury self-help group that works with people with aphasia. This group meets bimonthly on Fridays at Northbrook United Methodist Church’s Scout House at 50 Houze Way in Roswell, Georgia. Call Mark at (404) 434-7452 for more information.

Read The Seminole Spirit’s mission statement and the schedule of meetings.

Mark also tells his story about his wonderful spouse and marriage in Stay the Course, the M&M Way.

Sarah Hayes

Fifteen-year-old Sarah was riding in a car driven by an underage driver who had been drinking. The car crashed and Sarah was knocked into a three-week coma. She spent months in rehab and continued on in her studies. Today, she is a wife and mother of two girls, the author of a book about her ordeal, the author of a blog, and she speaks to groups and schoolchildren about the dangers of impaired driving and poor choices.

Read about Sarah’s remarkable journey.

Eileen Harrison

At age 20, Eileen was driving home from college when she was in a horrible car wreck that almost took her life. After numerous surgeries and lots of therapy, she is now a Brain Injury Peer Visitor at several hospitals, encouraging other brain injury survivors with her big smile, wit, and positive attitude.

Read Eileen’s story as told by her mom, Sue.

Gregory Hebert

Gregory Hebert’s story is ultimately about faith. “Trust in those who help you is important, but in the end, it matters where you place your faith.”

His faith never wavered, despite whatever he had to go through, because Gregory always knew there was a reason for it.

Other than that, there was always a talent he possessed. He had to work to get it back up to snuff, but he went above and beyond any of his own expectations.

He will never stop thanking his brother for all of the love he provided during Gregory’s troubled time, his mother for teaching him how to be independent, and his dad for teaching him never to give up. Of course there were other people who added to the mix, but family comes before the rest, and Gregory was blessed with a pretty good one. Gregory had lots of uncles and even an aunt who helped him by using old school values, helping him keep faith in the Lord, and helped him with a little extra change when he needed it.

Read more about Gregory’s amazing recovery.

Gary Heffner

Gary Heffner survived a subdural bleed from an aneurysm, and had a coil procedure and placement of a shunt. Read about his unique story and experience, of how his lovely girlfriend became his wife, being married in the hospital with hospital staff (nurses and doctors) as their witnesses.

Read the story — written by the president and CEO of Brookdale — of Gary and Pam Heffner, who now have returned to the very hospital where Gary rehabbed, Brookdale Center for Healthy Living and Rehabilitation, volunteering as Brain Injury Peer Visitors, as part of the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association.

Scotty Hunt

Scotty is a brain injury survivor who was in a head-on collision. His parents were told to put him in a nursing home.

Read in Scotty’s own words about his incredible recovery.

Also, read his mom Wynell’s story, and read about Wynell’s book, Why Scotty?

Clark Jacobs

Clark Jacobs was a student at Georgia Tech and living in the dorms. In early January 2015, Clark fell from his seven-foot loft bed, changing his life forever. The massive skull fracture and subsequent brain bleed were life threatening. He then suffered a STROKE.

Read about how Clark survived, relearned all his basic and regular life skills in months of therapy, and returned to college in 2016.

Julie Jarman

In 2007, Julie Jarman had a brain hemorrhage in Canberra, Australia. She was in intensive care for five weeks, then a rehab facility for over four months.

Read Julie’s account of her injury and her success.

Jessica Jones

Listening to the doctors and counselors in the brain-injured community sometimes has you wondering if recovery can ever take place.

Well, read this wonderful recovery story about 14-year-old Jessica Jones recovering completely from a severe traumatic brain injury resulting from a fall off a retaining wall.

Justin Kemp

Justin Kemp was at work when he was shot in the head. His life changed forever. Justin emailed and told our director that just emailing was tough and exerted a lot of his energy. But he wants to share a small piece of his own story to help others.

Read Justin’s story and TV and newspaper articles about the three gunmen who were caught and sent to prison.

Lisa Paige Kline

After years of battling headaches this young woman was partying one night, fell down, and couldn’t get up. What everyone thought was just too much to drink turned out to be an aneurysm.

Read Lisa’s inspiring story, My Life After an Aneurysm.

Hadley Korn

Hadley was only 16 when a truck plowed into the car in which she and a friend were riding, and she suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as a broken neck, pelvis, and ribs. She spent months in a minimally conscious state and then emerged to the point where she could be rehabilitated. For the next three months, Hadley spent her days at Shepherd relearning everything – how to walk, talk, eat, count and read.

Read this article (PDF) in the Spring 2011 edition of Shepherd Center’s Neurotransmitter about Hadley’s remarkable recovery and her relentless drive to get on with her life!

Michael L.

On August 16th, 2009, Michael got a headache which he ignored at first. Throughout the next couple of days things went from bad to worse, and he found out at Emory Hospital he had a cavernous malformation in his basal ganglia. He never knew anything about it until it suddenly ruptured and resulted in a very slow version of a stroke. He has had an incredible recovery and is back at Kennesaw State University where he is a Junior majoring in Mathematics. His brain injury gave him a deep appreciation for life, and he would not have recovered as well as he did if he had not been optimistic. Michael’s advice? Just keep a positive attitude always. His favorite quote is “Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.” – Eleanor Roosevelt.

Read Michael’s full story here.

Sylvia Lawing

Sylvia Lawing is a survivor of a traumatic brain injury resulting from a serious car crash in 2008. Sylvia believes that “the secret to survival is to realize that a loss is sometimes a new beginning.” She has created several blogs to help others.

Read Sylvia’s testimony.

Neil Ligon

Neil Ligon was a Brain Injury Peer Visitor at Shepherd Center and Grady. He won the 2012 Triumph Award, awarded by Walton Rehabilitation Health System during National Rehabilitation Week in September 2012. Neil is also an author of the book, The Detours (click to purchase), the story of his recovery after his brain injury. As stated by Deeds Publishing: “The Detours is a story of a man who, after surviving a severe traumatic brain injury, set out to rediscover who he once was and who he wanted to become. Neil states: I suffered a traumatic brain injury that August day, and the months of hospitals and rehabilitation that followed were just the beginning of my fight.“

Read Neil’s full story, and visit Neil’s book/advocacy Facebook page.

Allen London

An artist, Allen suffered severe brain damage a decade ago when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. What he went through shaped his goal in life to help others learn and develop their skills as artists.

Read more about Allen’s inspiring life and see some of Allen’s colorful paintings which depict disabilities in the art.

Jeremy Maddox

Jeremy Maddox sustained a spinal cord injury at age 16 in a motocross accident. Jeremy works full time, volunteers at Shepherd Center in their Spinal Cord Peer Support Program, and volunteers at Children’s Scottish Rite. He pilots airplanes and competes in water skiing competitions, traveling to participate in the U.S. Disabled Water Ski Nationals, and much much more. In Jeremy’s own words: “I haven’t come across anything yet that I can’t do from my wheelchair. It just takes some time and effort to find a different way.”

Read the following articles about Jeremy:

Peachtree Road Race Inspires Young Man to Become Wheelchair Athlete

Gifted Athlete with Paraplegia Rekindles His Passion for Sports, Winning National and International Titles

Anne Margaret McKenzie

“It was a cycling accident, out of the blue, unpredictable, and like most events that bring trauma to the brain, not something I’d ever expect would happen to me. Unseen and unimaginable, traumatic brain injury is an injury to the hidden and most essential part of yourself, a crippling injury which can compromise every aspect of your life, a triple whammy of cognitive, functional, and behavioural problems, and the fallout which hits you where it hurts – in your identity, your career and social performance, in your parenting skills, in your exercise program, your sense of self worth, and in the map you thought you had painted of your life.”

Anne lives in New Zealand. She tells us her story and has written a wonderful book: The Brilliance and the MADNESS – Letting Brain Injury Out of the Closet.

Click here to read more of Anne’s story.

Click here for Anne’s book’s Facebook page.

Here is Anne’s ebook on Amazon.com.

Here is Anne’s website, where she runs a blog on rehabilitation.

Randy Mallory

“In April 2008 Randy experienced a traumatic motorcycle accident that changed his life. It made him realize he had been given a new chance in life, and reaffirmed for him the importance of family. A near-death experience while in the hospital made him realize his life had purpose, and as a result, he is now sharing his message . . . “

Read more about Randy and his book: Beating Adversity – A Blueprint for Success in Life.

Bob Mandell

Bob is better known as “The Stroke Victor.” Bob had a severe stroke back in 1996. “Join The Stroke Victor from his days as a paralyzed, hiccuping, barely speaking massive stroke survivor living in a Connecticut nursing home to journeys to Australian and New Zealand vineyards where he and his caregiver wife enjoyed so many marvelous activities.”

Bob wrote a book entitled Stroke Victor – How to Go from Stroke Victim to Stroke Victor. Read Bob’s entire story about his stroke and his amazing recovery in his book. In his own words: “Stroke Victor is a How-To Book! It is not another survivor story, heartfelt as it may be. Follow this fact-filled, informative and realistically holistic approach to beating the odds after stroke.”

Dave Marcon

Dave Marcon was in a motorcycle accident back in 1985.

Read Dave’s story that he has never previously shared with anyone. He is planning on writing a memoir in his future. Dave explains his recovery process and shows his “grit and fortitude” to get better, improve his skills, and to keep trying and moving forward in a positive direction.

Todd Mitchem

In this YouTube video, Todd Mitchem — TED speaker, author, and entertaining thought-provoking keynote presenter — talks about the car crash (he was hit by a distracted driver trying to dial her phone) that gave him a massive concussion, and discusses why you must NEVER let someone else tell you that you are done or dead!

His new book, YOU, DISRUPTED, will help you change your game and break you free from your habitual ways of being.

www.ToddMitchem.com

Michael Ward Morrissey

Michael was going to a Halloween costume party. He stepped out of the taxi, proceeded to walk across the street, and was struck by a speeding SUV. This was “the day his life changed forever.”

Read more about Michael and how he is thankful to everyone who helped him overcome his struggles.

Rodney Noll

Have you ever experienced a situation where you knew something was wrong, but it wasn’t obvious enough to know that it was a very serious situation immediately? Have you had to face a brain surgery with the uncertainty of what the results would be? Are you post-serious brain injury and now on the road of healing and adapting that seems endless and uncertain?

Perhaps my brain injury story can be helpful to you in some way.

RoseAnn Olson

Currently on the Peer Visiting team at the Shepherd Center and Shepherd Pathways, RoseAnn drowned while snorkeling in 2006. She is a wife and mom of two children.

Read more about RoseAnn’s remarkable steps to recovery on her CaringBridge page.

Will Penn

Until July 6, 2011, Will Penn was just like any other 8-year-old boy. What he didn’t know – no one knew – was that he was born with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). On July 6, the AVM ignited a massive brain hemorrhage and stroke in Will’s body.

Read Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com’s story about Will and his family and how Cory Weissman was an inspiration.

Craig Phillips

In his own words, Craig J. Phillips is “a traumatic brain injury survivor, a master’s-level rehabilitation counselor, an educator, and a motivational/inspirational speaker with a message of hope.” Craig’s traumatic brain injury occurred in 1967, when he was 10 years old. He underwent brain surgery. “Rehabilitation did not exist in 1967 for brain injury, thus he had to teach himself how to walk, talk, read, write and speak in complete sentences.”

His very informative website is Second Chance to Live, and Craig’s story is on the About Page.

Matthew Ponder

At age 16, Matthew, a new driver, lost control of his car and crashed into a tree. He was in a coma for two weeks due to bilateral frontal lobe bruising and ruptured blood vessels in his brain.

Read Matthew’s story on the Brain & Life website about his recovery and his service to others as a Peer Visitor with our association, the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association. He is now in his freshman year in college!

Robert Pritchard

Robert was out with his cousin in downtown Atlanta one night when he began to have trouble speaking. Things went downhill from there and he had a seizure. He was admitted to Shepherd Center and battled back, went back to school, and received his Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice in three years! His mom, Natalie Pritchard, was inspired to become a Brain Injury Peer Visitor and establish a community to help other stroke survivors.

Read Robert’s impressive comeback story and how the former college football player turned into an example for other stroke survivors.

Enrico Quilico

On May 21, 2006, Enrico was involved in a motor vehicle collision that almost cost him his life. He was in a coma for two weeks and in the hospital for three months. After that he did over two years in rehabilitation.

Read Enrico’s story of recovery and how he did his first full Ironman Triathlon in 2016, the 10th anniversary of his accident. He did this as a fundraiser for Brain Injury Canada.

Diane Quimby

Diane was on our Peer Visiting team at the Shepherd Center; she was in a horrendous car wreck five years ago and has had over 35 surgeries.

Diane is a wife and mother of two children, and she has authored a book on brain injury, Head Lights For Dark Roads: Packing Humor and Hope for the Unexpected Trip Through traumatic brain injury.

Saul Raisin

On April 4, 2006, at the age of 23, Saul crashed in a professional bicycle race. He fell into a coma, sustaining substantial bodily damage and a traumatic brain injury. His outlook was bleak. Medical professionals did not know if he would survive, and if he did, what kind of life he would lead.

Read more about Saul’s remarkable comeback and mission in life, the Raisin’ Hope Foundation.

Julianna Ramos (Chris Medina’s fiancée)

Listen to the beautiful song – “What Are Words” – written by American Idol contestant Chris Medina for his fiancée, Juliana Ramos, who was in a bad motorcycle crash.

Chris shared her story when he sang on the television program.

Derek Rogers

On Thursday April 9, 2009, Derek was involved in a near-fatal car crash while driving his mom’s SUV.

Read more about Derek on his CaringBridge page.

Larry Sears

In Larry’s own words, “I am doing remarkably well, yet struggling quite a bit, both at the same time. I was unconscious for 19 days from the time of the bicycle accident until they were able to revive me from an induced coma after the craniotomy. My four-week stay in Memorial Hermann Houston Hospital ICU included a feeding tube, a tracheostomy, and an IVC filter due to extreme blood clotting in both legs. I was not expected to walk or speak.”

Read Larry’s remarkable story and watch the video from ABC13 Houston to see his amazing recovery.  He achieved all of the things he was told he would never be able to do.

David Scott

David was injured in a motorcycle accident when he was only 17 years old. He was not expected to live nor recover. His mom, Deanna, has written David’s story in the book Reconstructing David.

Read David’s own story in which he looks back at his life, 25 years after his accident. He also has insightful comments about Congresswoman Gabby Giffords’ recovery and the media’s failure to truthfully portray brain injury and its real effects.

Jamie Scrubas

Jamie Scrubas, 48, experienced a stroke the summer of 2014. He had to relearn to think, speak clearly, walk, and use his arm & leg. Jamie was engaged to be married to Tami Florio when his stroke occurred. In 2015, Tami is becoming a caregiver Brain Injury Peer Visitor at Shepherd with the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association.

Read about Jamie and Tami and their wedding in the Shepherd Center’s Secret Garden.

Mark Selman

At a picnic, Mark’s wife, Sherri, noticed that he stopped talking, was sweating, and was slumped to one side. She immediately realized that her husband was having a stroke. Fortunately, he was rushed to a hospital where he was given tPA, a blood clot-busting drug, and transferred to Piedmont Hospital. He had an occluded artery that was blocked by the blood clot. Thanks to the entire stroke team at Piedmont Hospital, he made a remarkable recovery in the next few days.

Read the article about Mark (PDF) that appeared in the Winter 2010-11 edition of Piedmont Profiles. Ann Boriskie, Director of the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Program, had the privilege to Peer Visit with both Mark and Sheri when Mark was a patient in Piedmont’s Neurosciences Unit.

Leanne Shaw

Leanne Shaw and her mother, Linda, are both Brain Injury Peer Visitors at Children’s Healthcare Atlanta (CHOA) at Scottish Rite for the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association. Leanne says that she owes her recovery to the great care she received at CHOA.

Read Leanne’s story and see her Before and After photos.

Rodney Smith

Wednesday morning May 14th, 2008, I left for work as a network engineer in Peachtree City, Georgia, much the same as I had every morning for almost eight years. This day would be different than all the rest and begin a journey through the mysterious and sometimes frightening world of traumatic brain injury.

Rodney’s story is here and his blog is www.hopeaftertbi.net.

Valerie Jo Smith

Valerie Jo Smith, a mother of two infants, suffered a closed head injury resulting in a stroke and left hemiplegia after an automobile accident on August 14, 1989.

Read Valerie’s story of how her faith in God and his will for her life – and her strong personal determination – carried her through her recovery process, the raising of her children, and the making of a new life plan for herself.

Kristin Stansell

Kristin was in an automobile accident in Scotland where she attended school. Considered a medical rarity, during her initial recovery she found that she could no longer hear and yet she “heard” loud noises through amplified sounds from her PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which is becoming less with time. Communication is a problem for her because although she can lip-read a little, she found she could only communicate with her parents.

Read Kristin’s optimistic account of her incredible journey in her new world.

Jeff Stiles

The life of Jeff Stiles was forever impacted by the car wreck he suffered in 1983. But rather than letting that wreck impact him in a negative way, he went on to earn a degree in Theology and then began several successful businesses of his own. Today, Jeff is a facilitator for caregivers with the Iowa Alzheimer’s Association, and in 2016 became a volunteer in the organization’s “Heroes” program, for which he provides weekly telephone support for caregivers throughout the state of Iowa. In 2017, Jeff will be retiring from regular employment, and spend his week pursuing his love of writing — and volunteering to help caregivers deal with their own loved ones suffering from dementia.

Read Jeff’s incredible story.

Dick Taylor

Dick Taylor is a member of the Emory Rehabilitation Hospital’s Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association Program. He is also a member of their stroke support group there at Emory Rehab. Visiting with Dick now, you would not have a clue that he had a stroke less than 3 years ago. He had one side of his body paralyzed and could not walk, talk, feed himself, etc.

Read Dick’s story in the The Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation online magazine.

Nicolas Uppal

Nicolas Uppal is a new 2015 Brain Injury Peer Visitor with the Brain Injury Peer Visitor Association. He sustained a brain injury and spinal cord injury in a motorcycle crash.

Read Nicholas’ story.

Wes Varda

Hello. On December 11, 2008, I had a brain stem stroke which rendered me ‘locked in.’ As of today, I have had an amazing recovery and am back to doing a lot of the everyday things I enjoy.

Read more about Wes and watch this YouTube video of Wes’ incredible recovery.

Erica Wagner

Twenty-year-old Erica Wagner was injured in 2013 in a near-fatal car crash. She lost control of the car, and her head and both arms came out of the driver’s window as she slammed into the cement dividing wall on the freeway. Erica was non-responsive for 22 days (was in a vegetative state for 2 months) – then in the hospital for 21 months.

Read Erica’s amazing story and watch this video about Erica made by one of her college friends. Erica is a beautiful young lady and currently back in college taking a few courses. She is talking, walking, and helping others less fortunate than herself.

Ana Wakefield

Ana was in college — a 4.0 student, volunteered at numerous organizations, played basketball. Ana’s life changed when she was in a head-on car wreck. Both of her lungs were punctured, she had compound fractures and a severe brain injury requiring five surgeries.

Ana’s story is told in this YouTube video. You will learn what it means to “Fight Like Ana.” In Ana’s own words, “I won’t settle for 2nd place, except for God”.

Beryl Waters

Beryl Waters is a Brain Injury Peer Visitor at Piedmont Atlanta and at Shepherd Center. In 1993 she had two aneurysms just weeks apart. She recovered and went back to work but retired in 1994, and now dedicates her life to helping others as a very active volunteer.

Read this inspirational article about Beryl in Shepherd Center’s Fall 2019 Spinal Column magazine.

Molly Welch

Molly, a student a Auburn, was driving along a highway in Alabama in early February, 2008 when she collided with an oncoming truck. She sustained a severe brain injury and remained in ICU for three weeks. She was then transferred to Shepherd Center, where she underwent multiple rigorous therapies, and she emerged a victorious young lady with great potential! Molly and her mom, Mary, are now Peer Visitors at Shepherd Center. Read an article (PDF) that appeared in the fall 2008 edition of the Spinal Column chronicling a week in Molly’s life at Shepherd.

Molly was part of a very compelling Public Service Announcement and request for NOT TEXTING WHILE DRIVING in which she shares her own story of injury and recovery.

Also, watch this video about Molly — this is her video resume. Molly graduated from college and is ready to go back to work. NOTE: This video worked! As of April, 2015, Molly has a job.

Leslee Williams

Leslee shares her story, which began with a horrendous headache and several misdiagnoses. Her “saga,” as she calls it, includes three aneurysms and surgeries for those. Then after a second brain surgery she had not one but two strokes. A subsequent fall caused a concussion. Leslee says, “I went in as Leslee and came out a stranger.”

Read more about Leslee’s struggles, her recovery, and living the fulfilled life she now leads. Her website is thereisasolutioninc.com.