My Nonprofit Reviews

I’m here today to give testimony to the significant the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network (BRAIN) has provided my family and me as I continue along my journey to recovery.
I was a happy individual with a lovely family and a great career with the Boeing Corporation. And, in a split second, my life was changed forever. I was driving to coach my daughter’s high school powder puff football game, when my car was hit by an intoxicated driver going over 65 MPH.
The medical crew at the accident didn’t anticipate I’d make it to the hospital. But thanks to lots of prayers, I arrived at the hospital alive. I laid in bed unconscious for two months until I was able to open my eyes, only to discover I was given a new title – Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor. I had to learn to talk, move and walk again. Of many things I learned about my new life during that time, I realized I would never be able to return to my Boeing employment of nearly 30 years.
Simple solutions to everyday situations are no longer taken for granted. Unlike a common cold, where one can take cold medicine on Friday night, rest & go bed, and wake up Monday morning feeling great again! Unfortunately, there is not TBI syrup to take. And even with lots of rest, I’m still waiting to wake up one morning and feel like I once was. I now must deal with body balance & mental confusion to say the least. The numbness I feel about two inches along the left side of my body from my shoulder to my foot contributes to my imbalance issue. So when asked how imbalanced I now must feel & deal with, I reply with the following example. Stand up, begin spinning around five times very fast to your right, stop & spin around very fast five times around to your left, stop & take three steps forward, stop & sit down in a chair, now rise out of the chair, and try standing still. I now ask how you feel? Hopefully, this example helps explain a little bit about my imbalance issue.
Confusion is something I’m learning to cope with. I don’t talk on the phone because by not seeing someone, I find I’m at a loss for words and my thoughts are mixed up. I was once a person who was able to do multiple things. For example, my job encompassed I had to work on my computer & answer phone calls while directly training & reviewing the work of my staff with weekly assignments and new projects, and maintain a calm, pleasant disposition. Or once being able go to the gym and easily perform workouts which included running & swimming several miles. Now I walk alone because walking with someone else confuses my walking stride with their walking style & potential conversation. Remember this now becomes a multi-task activity I still am learning how to do. And swimming was something I could easily achieve by doing one hundred lengths of the pool. Now I can barely swim one half of a pool’s length. And I now can achieve these modified levels of activities with my continuous practice over the last two years. I am able to successfully pull the wool over most people’s eyes of the many challenges I’m now having to deal with.
Along with my family and friends, the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network (BRAIN), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with brain injuries, and their weekly support meetings known as the Friends of Brain Injury (FBI), provide benefits to the community of brain injury survivors. I can vividly remember the very first time going to a FBI Meeting. I told my wife – “I don’t belong here!” She smiled at me as we parked our car, and said “OK, but since we’re here, let’s go in and see what we encounter. Just try to remain positive and see this as our new adventure.” So as I opened the door to the meeting, I was amazed at what we discovered! Everyone was happy to see us and welcome us to our first FBI Meeting. I immediately felt at ease and quite welcomed as everyone greeted us. I was once a very confident individual that was robbed of this quality from my accident. But I felt some of this characteristic return back to me as people approached and spoke with me. My wife was so happy to see me involve myself with various answers to questions being asked at the meeting by others in attendance. And she was shocked to see me rise out of my seat and walk to the front of the meeting to participate in a game being played by all at the meeting. When the meeting concluded, many people approached me and said that they looked forward to seeing me at the next meeting. So as my wife and I got into our car, I told her that maybe next week we’d try another meeting. So after a little over a year, I haven’t missed a FBI Meeting!
Once a self-reliant and very confident individual that didn’t need or rely on anyone’s acceptance, now I’m a very different person. A simple pat on the back or words of encouragement is now welcomed and much needed. This is something the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network does so naturally.
It’s very difficult to put into words the wonderful feeling I get when I participate in a BRAIN/FBI meeting or event. The various activities and classes offered at the FBI facility enable us to try many things we once were very good at or encounter new things we can feel good at participating in doing. For example, we got to see one of our favorite baseball teams lose their game. But the most important thing about this event was not the outcome of the game, but being able to share and enjoy my family & friends by participating in this event. We were able to make a new experience we can now hold very close to our hearts!
I am very honored and quite fortunate to be able to write this passage of appreciation. And, most importantly, to say “Thank You from the top of my heart to the bottom of my soul to the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network for what EWBA supports. I proudly can say that EWBA stands for “Everything Will Be Alright”.

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