After a person is injured in an accident, we so often only hear about the tragic outcomes. Sometimes, however, a person recovers and decides to give back. Such is the case for a 25-year-old man from Philadelphia.

The man was seriously injured while riding his bike when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver at 55th Street and Lancaster Avenue. He was 20-years-old at the time. In addition to broken bones, the accident left him with a brain injury and in a coma for 14 days.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious condition that can have lasting effects on an individual necessitating long-term treatment in some cases. Additionally, sometimes it has the unfortunate result of changing a person's personality.

Five years after the accident he decided to go on another bike ride. This time, he went for a long ride. He rode across the entire country. Starting in San Francisco, the 3,200 mile trip took 53 days to complete. Some nights he slept in a tent. In addition to the 75 pounds of gear he carried, he also brought five helmets. Though he sustained a brain injury in his accident, he feels strongly that the fact that he was wearing a helmet saved his life.

Because he wants to let everyone see that some people do recover after sustaining brain injuries, he made stops along the way at hospitals and rehab centers. Now an engineering teacher, he still deals with short-term memory loss and expects he will deal with side effects for the rest of his life. Clearly, he is not letting these side effects slow him down.

Source

The Inquirer: "From bad injury in Philly to colossal achievement in the U.S.," Michael Vitez, Aug. 19, 2011