Family perspective: Faith Model

“My brother, Bobby Model, suffered a traumatic brain injury on June 7, 2007 when a cement block came through our windshield while driving in South Africa.

For weeks, we were told there was very little hope that Bobby would ever regain consciousness or any sort of purposeful existence. As a family, we refused to buy into this prognosis and chose instead to move forward with absolute hope that Bobby would fight this and pull through. A month after the accident, we flew to New York and Bobby was admitted into the Neuro ICU. He arrived in septic shock and again, things appeared grim, but in this new setting we held tightly to the hope and belief that Bobby would somehow come back to us. After a few weeks with some phenomenal doctors and a collection of incredible nurses dedicated to Bobby's recovery we saw our first glimmers of light as Bobby's infections subsided and he seemed to be tracking voices. As we navigated through the complex and foreign world of medicine, we kept vigil from the ICU to the regular floor where Bobby began to respond to some simple commands, much to the enthusiastic delight of everyone. With these developments, we continued to hold, with ease, the hope and faith that Bobby was en route to rejoining the world. And despite setbacks that included several surgeries and more stints back to the ever familiar ICU, Bobby slowly, but steadily progressed and one day we began discussing rehab. After three and a half months at the hosptial we flew to Denver where Bobby was eventually admitted to a center for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Bobby is now getting firmly grounded on the road to recovery and to regaining his life. While there is still work to be done and a road ahead, this is now a time of new beginnings, possibility and a renewed faith in faith.”