I was 19 years old, it was July, 2001, I was in a 135+ mph motorcycle accident. I was racing some friends, something we did on a regular basis. I wasn't wearing a helmet, neither were they, nothing was gonna happen. Man were we wrong, My motorcycle went into a high-speed wobble, I tried to get it under control, I wasn't able to, I ended up having to lay it down, I slid down the highway for better than 1/8th of a mile, my head bouncing off the concrete. I woke up three weeks later in the hospital, at this point I was told what my parents, friends and family members had watched me go through. The doctors told my parents they should unplug me, the damage done was gonna end me up in a nursing home if I even lived. My parents could not, would not listen, they told them that if anyone would make it and live a normal life I was the one. The doctors continued to tell my parents they needed to see the big picture and that I wasn't gonna live a quality life, my parents continued to tell the doctors they were wrong. I came out of the induced Coma, I was dazed, confused, unable to talk, remembering only bits of pieces of what had happened. I was in the hospital for another 5 wks, going through rehab, learning to talk again, strengthening all the muscles in my body. I have since gone to Vo.Tech. and got my Nurses Aide Certification, worked in a nursing home, worked with mentally challenged folks, I am currently working in an adult foster home where I take care of people whom have also had TBI. The doctors are not always right, it has been a long hard recovery, I have had a second motorcycle accident, I hit a dear in April 2006 doin 60 mph, wearing a helmet this time, it did not set me back at all. I want everyone to know that people do recover, maybe not 100% but I would say I have come back 98.999%, the doctors told my parents to unplug me, even a family friend that was a doctor said they should donate my organs, maybe it's a miracle, maybe it's because my parents believed I was gonna be just fine all I know is that it is possible with lots of hard work to pull through, it might not happen every time but it can happen. I went through the stages, the anger/hate, the depression, I went through it all and I am hear to say that I'm glad my parents gave me that chance. I had days that I wished I was dead, the recovery process is very hard but I wouldn't have it any other way. If you'd like to know more about me please feel free to e-mail me with questions.

Email Charles