September 21, 2021, my Nephew Demari Turner, while traveling to start his first semester at FAMU was pushed off the road and into a ditch, totaling his car and tossing him from the driver side into the back of his vehicle. He was transported to Shands hospital where he flatlined and was brought back to life. He then fell into a coma due to his injuries. While in the coma, he said he was taken to Heaven by angels and saw the most beautiful things. He was shown different versions of his life and that of his loved ones.

On Earth, the doctors were telling us he suffered severe traumatic brain damage along with some physical injuries, and we should prepare for the worse. Little did we know the journey had just begun. To describe Demari’s journey in one word, it would be strength. Watching him go through something so difficult, choosing to be strong, mentally, physically and spiritually. His journey has me humbled and inspired seeing hope and resilience in him during darkest of moments.

After 7 days, Demari woke up and immediately after regaining his ability to speak, more like mumble his first words were “I am famous yet”.

He was admitted to a rehab facility ran by UF health where after only six months He was not only walking but able to swing a plastic bat, shoot a small basketball into a small hoop. Also, able to read again. God knows where we would be without UF health.

This changed the trajectory of Demari’s life dramatically going from a student athlete to a survivor and changed his approach to life. He had reset and start over and find himself all over again. Now, he no longer expects life to give him anything, rather is grateful for whatever it does.

Witnessing in-person the persistent and consistent effort it took every morning to push thru physical and cognitive therapy, the fight to find himself, was nothing like I have ever seen. I have shifted my priorities to become more of an advocate as my part of Demari’s journey.

After 10 months Demari was released home.

Today, Demari runs his own apparel and fashion company and has made friends with people like Lasean Mccoy former NFL running back and NBA player Trae Mann, whom both have been inspired by Demari’s Journey and supports his company Tykhunllc.

Most common myth about people with brain injuries is that if someone looks fine on the outside, they must be fine, but many brain injury symptoms are invisible, like headaches, memory issues, or difficulty concentrating. Another one is people with brain injuries are doomed to limited lives. This is not always the case, just ask Demari and he will tell with hope in his voice “It Gets Greater Later”.”

The post Survivor Story – Demari Turner appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

My name is Venessa 

I’m one of the Ambassadors who takes calls for Brain Injury Florida on the Information & Referral Line (BIL), supporting brain injury survivors like myself. I’m also active in the social media community as an advocate—not just for me, but for others walking this same journey, making sure they know they’re not Alone.

Our personal battles can become someone else’s inspiration. Everyone has a story too powerful to keep hidden.

Advocacy has become more than just answering calls and helping people find resources. I also volunteer at a food pantry, where we serve about 65–80 families a day, five days a week. The numbers used to be higher, but due to budget cuts, we’ve had to reduce how many families we can help—just to make sure we can continue serving those in need.

When I was released from the hospital, I was told I could go back to doing whatever I wanted. I could walk, I could talk, and to everyone else, I looked “FINE” But short-term memory, cognitive function, Brain fog, mental clarity, fatigue, Balance issuses and burnout—these challenges are real, and they look different for many of us.

What I didn’t realize at the time was how much I would go through after surviving an aneurysm rupture. Because I looked the same, my family believed everything would go back to normal—and so did I.

I’m incredibly grateful for the support group I found early on in my recovery back in 2019. That was a very difficult time, and joining that group opened so many doors for me. It connected me to resources and people who truly understood.

That experience is what drives me today—to help others find what’s available and to understand that life will be different… and that’s okay.

Acceptance is part of the journey.

On August 9, 2022, I received an email from my recreational nurse from my group asking if I wanted to be part of a new brain injury advocacy program here in Florida. They had received a grant and were looking for board members—and she thought of me.

She believed I could be a voice for brain injury survivors in Florida, especially since there aren’t many resources available once someone leaves the hospital.

Of course, I said yes 

Now, four years later, I’m honored to still be part of it and to watch it grow into something meaningful. From that very first meeting, I knew we were building something important.

One thing I’ve learned along the way is that access to information is everything—but finding people willing to share it isn’t always easy. Even now, I still encounter challenges. That’s why I do what I do—because everyone deserves access, support, and understanding. What I do every day comes from the heart. This is for me, and for everyone on their own unique journey.

I’m a daughter.
I’m a sister.
I’m a wife.
I’m a mother.

Before my injury and after my injury, I have always worked hard at whatever I do. As a brain injury survivor, I give myself Credit.  You would never know what I’ve been through just by looking at me.

You would only know if you truly LISTENED

Yes, it’s real.
No, I’m not pretending.
And yes, I have the medical documentation to prove it.

Trust me… I didn’t ask for this. But here’s why I’m sharing today.

Recently, I attended an event surrounded by people living with invisible disabilities. Looking around the room, I realized something very important: You couldn’t tell who was struggling and who wasn’t. That event reminded me of something that we all need to practice more —slow down and pay attention to the people around you. Not everything in life is a rush. Because the truth is, you never know what someone is carrying. Just like you wouldn’t know what I’m carrying if I didn’t tell you.

You wouldn’t know I live with a brain injury.

Seven years ago, on February 5, 2019, my life changed unexpectedly. I suffered a ruptured cerebral aneurysm and a hemorrhagic stroke—A type of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). The kind you rarely HEAR about. What I didn’t know was that it was genetic, and that i had two aneurysms one on the left an one on the right. The one on the right has been repaired with a stent and coils. The other is still being monitored yearly with MRA

I was in a coma for  8 days and hospitalized for 21 days. When I woke up, I was confused. I didn’t know what had happened or where I was. I had lost days of my life that I will never get back I didn’t get it…

And yet today—I walk, I smile, and I SHOW UP.

For the first three years, I lived in fear every day. Pero I didn’t show it. Most people couldn’t tell what I was going through because brain injury is INVISIBLE.

The lights were too bright.
The color red hurt my head.
Noise was overwhelming.
Being around people was exhausting.
My memory changed.
Overstimulation was real.

I had to find a new normal. A new version of me. Chach and the hardest part was accepting that the old version of me wasn’t coming back.  Along this journey, I lost people I thought would always be there. But I’ve made peace with that. Not everyone is meant to stay. What I won’t accept is anyone telling me how to heal or how long healing should take.

Brain injury is a life Sentence. Chacho living this life requires a different kind of strength.

That’s why I’m very selective about who I allow in my space. My peace is worth every minute.  I celebrated my Survivors Anniversary last month  not as a reminder of trauma, but as a celebration of my life an how far I’ve come.  I celebrate the small wins. I celebrate progress—no matter how slow. Because progress is still progress. Seven years later, I’ve learned something important:

Healing isn’t about rushing back to who you were.
It’s about learning to live fully with who you are now. And even though life is different, it can still be meaningful, purposeful, and beautiful an full of some amazing moments.

Today, I give back by volunteering with Brain Injury Florida, helping answer calls so survivors know they are not alone. I also volunteer at MSS Food Pantry, helping feed families in need. We serve about 65–80 people a day—nearly 1,400 a month. Helping others helps me heal. Advocating for myself—and others—is everything. Because if you don’t advocate for yourself, many times NO ONE else will.

ESPECIALLY when you DON’T ’t look like what people expect a survivor to look like. So the next time you see someone, don’t rush to judge them. Have compassion.

If you don’t understand invisible disabilities, take the time to educate yourself.

BRAININJURYFL.ORG

Still healing.
Still learning.
Still advocating.
Still grateful.

Mommy, I hope I’m making you proud.

Moving in silence. And remember: Some disabilities… Some silent battles…Look like me. I’m incredibly grateful for the  support group I found early while I was in my recovery back in 2019. That was a very difficult time for me, and joining that group opened so many doors for me. It connected me to resources and people who really understood this world. Invisible injury That experience is what drives me today—to help others find what’s available and to understand that life will be different… and that’s okay. Acceptance is part of the journey.  “It took a lot to get here”

My journey started long before my injury an I didn’t even know it. I lost my mom to a hemorrhagic stroke in 1989 in Brooklyn, New York—the same type of injury that I experienced on February 5, 2019. So this fight is harder then i expected.  In honor of those we’ve lost—especially my mom  This journey hasn’t been easy. It has been challenging. But I’ve learned that acceptance and balance is key. Having a voice matters—especially when it represents those who can’t speak for themselves and those we’ve lost along the way.

Each one, teach one.
No one should feel alone.

What I hope to see in the future is more support—more counselors to help us understand before we are discharged, more social workers to assist with paperwork while we are in the hospital, more neuropsychologists to conduct thorough testing before release, and even more  legal resources to help survivors and families navigate everything, because not every case is only medical.

Thank you for reading.

The post Survivor Story – Venessa Rosario Cuevas appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

For 36 years, I dedicated my life to teaching young children. My days were full of energy, curiosity, and the joy that comes from helping students learn and grow. Outside of school, I was a wife, a mother, and someone who loved spending time with family and friends. Church, celebrations, and family gatherings were an important part of my life. I thrived on being active and present, especially when it meant playing with the children in our family.

Then, one ordinary morning at school changed everything.

The day had started like any other until I suddenly found myself running straight into a concrete block wall. I remember picking myself up off the floor, stunned, holding my bleeding head while searching for my glasses. Everything felt disorienting. I knew something wasn’t right, but I had no idea how my life was about to change.

At the emergency room, doctors performed a CT scan. I was given a bandage for my head because the swelling from the contusion was too severe to be stitched. I was sent home with an ice pack and instructions to take Tylenol for the pain. The doctor explained that my CT scan was clear and added, “You might have a concussion. Follow up with your primary physician tomorrow. ”

I went home with a baseball-sized hematoma on my forehead and very little guidance about what to do next, other than to continue icing the swelling.

The next morning, I called my primary physician and was told to rest for the remainder of the week. I was also told there was no need to come into theoffice. Eventually, I was diagnosed with post- concussion syndrome, and my care was transferred to a neurologist.

That was when my search for answers truly began.

I was experiencing symptoms that would soon affect every part of my life. I had continuous headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to noise and light, and what felt like constant sensory overload. I struggled with brain fog, loss of words, difficulty focusing, and memory problems.

Month after month, I was told the same thing: it would get better with time and that I should avoid pushing myself too hard.  But waiting patiently for improvement was frustrating. I did not feel like myself anymore, and all I wanted was to feel normal again.

Simple outings became exhausting. Even small activities could trigger symptoms that lingered long after the event was over. I would often find myself wondering if attending a gathering or meeting friends for dinner was worth the exhaustion and headache I would feel the following day.

My life had changed. I went from spending full days actively teaching children, attending church, and enjoying social events to searching for anything that might help me regain the life I once had.

One of the most heartbreaking parts of this experience was realizing that I could no longer participate in conversations the way I once had. At restaurants or social gatherings, the noise and stimulation would become overwhelming. Instead of laughing and engaging, I often found myself quietly slipping away to the side, watching others interact while I struggled to keep up.

For someone who had spent decades communicating, teaching, and connecting with others, this loss felt especially painful.  Slowly, with the help of professionals, I began the journey toward healing.

Physical therapy helped reduce my headaches and guided me through exercise at a pace that allowed my body to heal. Cognitive therapy became an essential part of my recovery as I worked to retrain my brain and rebuild skills that once came naturally.

For the past 14 months, I have been learning how to navigate what many survivors call the “new normal.” Recovery has required patience, persistence, and a willingness to celebrate even the smallest victories.

One of the most surprising parts of this journey has been discovering how little people understand about concussions and traumatic brain injuries. A person with a mild brain injury may look completely fine on the outside. Yet only the survivor truly knows what their brain and body are experiencing.

The headaches, fatigue, sensory overload, and cognitive challenges are real—even when they cannot be seen.

I quickly learned that I had to become my own advocate. Finding the right treatments, therapies, and support required persistence and research. Too many people suffering from traumatic brain injuries struggle to find the resources they need to support their recovery. But I have also discovered something incredibly important along the way.

Healing is not something we do alone.  Faith has given me strength during difficult days. My family and friends have offered patience, encouragement, and understanding. Support groups have connected me with others who truly understand the challenges of brain injury. My medical and therapy teams have provided the guidance and care necessary for progress.  Each of these pieces has played an essential role in my healing.

My hope in sharing my story is to bring greater awareness to the realities of mild traumatic brain injury. I want people to understand that even when someone appears fine, they may be facing daily challenges that others cannot see.

Most importantly, I want fellow survivors to know they are not alone.  Recovery from a traumatic brain injury is rarely simple or quick. It requires time, support, and compassion—both from others and from ourselves. But with faith, persistence, and the right support system, healing is possible.

And sometimes, even after life changes in ways we never expected, we can still find strength, purpose, and hope along the journey forward.

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The post Survivor Story – Ricky Chase appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

My name is Beatriz Rivero, my accident was on May 23rd of 2015 when I was making a left at a yellow light.  There was a car that “supposedly” in a race. The first car passed me, but the second one T-boned me at, at, according to the police, ninety miles per hour, but according a witness, he was going at least 120mph.

My recovery has been going on for almost 2 years, and I have been told that I am a miracle several times by several different people. I was in a coma for 2 months and a semi-coma for another month and a half.

My recovery has been long, but filled with amazing people, including unlimited support from friends and family!

There are many ways that Beatriz has contributed to assisting others with a brain injury.  To date, Beatriz has completed television interviews, started a blog, and recently, began providing others with a means to network.  If that is not enough, Beatriz is currently writing a book, hoping to release it next year.

Brain Injury Florida is honored to share Beatriz’s story and support a community that amplifies survivors’ voices.

The post Survivor Story – Beatriz Rivero appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

Growing up in a small rural town, many families use ATV’s and golf carts as their way of
transportation through farmland and fields. For a small-town girl like me, going to high
school that is in the middle of nowhere, there is only a small percentage of kids who grew
up in suburban areas, but I found myself becoming friends with a few. As I became
closer to these girls, I invited them over one night and wanted to go on a golf cart ride to
show these city girls the country.

As my sister was driving and I was giving a tour, I did not realize she would be taking
a turn, and as she did, I fell out of the moving golf cart. When I fell, my head took the
impact and I became unconscious. Once I woke up, I was surrounded by my friends
and my parents, as they were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. In this moment I had
no idea what had happened, but I knew something was wrong, I was in extreme pain
and when I touched the back of my head, I could feel my skull had become swollen to
the size of a baseball. As soon as the EMT’s arrived they realized how severe an injury I
most likely had and rushed me to the Tampa General Hospital as fast as they could.

Once I arrived at the hospital a team of nurses and a neurologist were waiting for me,
they got right to work sending me to scans like MRI’s and Xrays, trying to assess my
injuries. Once the scans were viewed the neurologist told my mom that I had a
Traumatic Brain Injury, 3 brain bleeds, a skull fracture, and a severe concussion.

In this moment not only my life but my families life felt like it had been shattered into a
million pieces. We had no clue what my life would look like moving forward, would I
have permanent brain damage? Would I need surgery? How long would this injury
affect me if it were not permanent? My neurologist unfortunately could not answer all
these questions for my family because they were having to study my brain movement
over the course of the next 72 hours. As time went on the doctors made my family
aware that I should come out of this okay, but I would need to do many check-ins, and
doctor visits to be sure. My journey to recovery was not easy and had many struggles, I
had days where I would feel a world wind of emotions and struggled with mental battles
due to my brain bleeds being on my frontal lobe; the emotions I would feel were
completely out of my control and I often felt stuck and alone. Now it has been three
years since my TBI and I have tried to educate myself on the rising cases of TBI’s each
year.

I am so thankful that my injury was not permanent, and I was able to recover, but I
know in many cases there are families out there that are not as lucky and are
devastated at the outcomes of these injuries on their loved ones. I hope by sharing my
story I will help advocate for golfcart and ATV safety. This injury could have been

avoided if seatbelts or helmets were worn, however hindsight is always 20-20. I am
thankful that I went through what I did because now it has given me a platform to speak
for others that cannot and bring awareness to these tragic accidents.

The post Survivor Story – Annistyn Griffin appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

Tim Sorady – Sumter County

My story begins in the early morning of 16 November 2020, as I was riding my motorcycle to work.  A 2017 Harley Trike with just over 5,200 miles on it.  As I rode barely five miles from home, a truck turned left in front of me.  Unable to stop, or avoid the truck, I hit it.  I flew off the bike landing on my face.

I was blessed as an off-duty EMS worker was right behind me.  Also, the nearest fire station was only a quarter mile away.  They began working on me quickly, while someone was calling my wife, who arrived at the scene a short time later.

Transported to ORMC Trauma, I have since learned that I was revived three times and received seven blood transfusions.  I was not expected to survive the accident.

According to my wife, I was aware of what happened and easily answered questions, though I do not remember anything from this time.  My injuries included broken ribs, left eye socket, both arms, pelvis, fractured vertebrae, and damage to my heart.

Two days after the accident, my wife received a call requesting permission to perform brain surgery to relieve pressure on my brain.  By this time, my brain was coming through my left eye.  As a result of the surgery, there are three plates in my head and a large scar.

It was almost three months before I began to remember what was happening. The three months prior were mostly lost; I did not even remember leaving my home.

I was in a total of seven different facilities over ten months.  I was a quadriplegic, with one doctor telling me I would never get out of bed.  A second doctor told this to my wife.

Once I began to remember things, I began telling my wife I would be ok and be home in a few weeks.  She would try to bring me to reality, but I would not listen.  Unfortunately, my rehabilitation did not start for almost seven months.  By this time many of my muscles had atrophied and lost any strength I had.  But I would never give up.  I remember the first day sitting in a chair.  I needed to be hoisted from the bed and placed there using a sling. Clergy came in and we talked.  Before I knew it a few hours passed.  I was being lifted at times to help me sit and strengthen my core muscles.  I was sometimes put in a harness to hoist me up, and begin putting weight on my legs.

I was moved to another facility where I would get a little more therapy. They worked on moving my arms, hands, and fingers.  I was put in a special chair to help put weight on my legs.  There was little progress by the time I left there.  This is when the second doctor had the discussion with my wife about me being bed bound.

In August 2021, I was moved to another facility, an inpatient rehab.  At first, they were not going to accept me, however, my wife intervened and spoke to a doctor.  The doctor finally relented.  Shortly after arrival, the doctor came to my room.  She explained that the reason I was accepted was the intervention of Lori.  My records indicated that no progress would be made.  However, my determination proved otherwise.  The doctor told me because of this they will be changing the method cases are reviewed and people are accepted.

The facility provided two hours of therapy each day.  I began learning to transfer into my wheelchair.  By building my core muscles, I was soon lifting myself to a sitting position in bed.  Therapy included moving of my limbs, sit-ups, and learning to take care of myself.  This facility was to only be two weeks, but of course I became sick with a respiratory infection and needed to stay for an extra week.  By the time I left, I was taking short walks using a walker with elevated extensions because of a lack of arm use.

Shortly after coming home, I became tired of being fed.  I designed a tool to use to feed myself.  That was my Christmas present to myself.

I continued outpatient therapy learning to walk again and strengthen muscles.  After a few months at home and therapy, I was beginning to take small walks on my own, no walker. I continued therapy on my hands and arms for four years.  I have regained some function in both arms and my fingers.  To this day, I continue therapy on my own to improve.

I do go back to see people that played a role in my recovery to show the progress being made.  I believe it also shows them that the work they are doing changes lives.  During one visit, I was asked if I would be doing all I do now if the accident did not occur.

From all that was learned in my life, things happened for a reason and God spared my life for a purpose.  I became involved with Brain Injury Florida after hearing all the hardships my wife went through in trying to find resources.  I work on some committees, the Brain Injury Information Line, as well as the State Brain Injury Advisory Board.

The post Survivor Story – Tim Sorady appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

Hello! My name is Anna. I am a very severe Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor. I
acquired my brain injury from a vehicle accident I was involved in wile I was a passenger in a
truck on October 24, 2010. This accident occurred after a wedding, a best friend’s wedding, I
attended with a friend, ex-boyfriend. This friend and I were no longer dating but agreed to go to
our friend’s wedding together.
I have been told the wedding was beautiful, but I do not remember any of the wedding. I
know I attended in a feather dress that I just bought for the wedding, and I was in love with it!
Well, I wore it once, and it had a great time, but was then cut off of me by emergency personnel.
I am very fortunate the accident I was in was discovered by a surgeon, doctor who just got off of
work from Sacred Heart Hospital on his way home. I do not remember any of this because I was
unconscious. I was told when I asked who found me sometime after I woke up from my coma, I
was curious, and was informed this information. Upon seeing the truck against a tree, the Doctor
called an ambulance, emergency transportation, for me. They thought the Driver was dead, but
then they heard him breath so he was taken to the hospital. From this point we were picked up
and taken to Baptist Hospital.
I am giving you a description of the truck we were in, in the accident. It was a Black
Ford F150 Harley Davidson edition with a red stripe all the way around the trucks side just
below the bed of the trucks top. He did not T-bone the tree, it was an off-center crash that
resulted in the dashboard coming off and hitting me, “and taking me down” where the his was
off center. It is not always necessary, but I do say it occasionally while describing my accident
by saying, “And the dashboard took me down” where in the picture it does show where my
passenger seat is going perpendicular, not parallel with the truck’s dashboard. The picture does
show how could anyone survive this accident.
When I arrived at Baptist Hospital, I was taken to Nursing Intensive Surgical Unit
(NISU) where I received immediate emergency Brain Surgery from Neurosurgeon Dr.
Giovanini. After surgery I was placed into a Medically Induced Coma. After I woke up from
my coma, I then took a really cool ride in a ambulance to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta,
Georgia to continue with my recovery and learn everything all over again.
Here I was a 25-year-old woman who felt like a 5-year-old girl and had to learn
everything all over. One unique story that I can remember is one day Shepherd Center therapists
took us all recovering individuals to a room, took us to our seat then placed some objects in front
of us giving us instructions on what to do with what was in front of us. I was and am hard
headed so I thought “Seriously, what are they going to have me do. I am 25 years old, and I can
do anything”. Placed in front of me were some coins, and I was instructed to count the coins to
see how much was in front of me. I thought, this is ridiculous, I can do that. I then looked down
with a half smirk, or what I could do of a smirk on my face and well, I did not remember. I was
confused. I played with the coins then I realized I may need some help so I raised my hand. A
Therapist came over to see what I needed and I can’t remember what I said, but I think she
noticed I needed some help. She helped me.
One thing I really needed assistance with was my balance. I always had to wear the belt
with a therapist next to me, or I was in a wheelchair. My wheelchair was my amazing Bentley!
So, I can always say in my life I drove and controlled a Bentley, and brag, or explain my Bentley

rode smooth and I loved it! I did many types of therapy while at Shepherd center, was fed and
exercised my mind and body. Each day I was exhausted.
One exercise we did with a collection of those in recovery along with their therapists was
loading in a Shepherd van transporting us to a grocery store. At the grocery store our therapists
gave us a list and explained we need to find the items on this list. Each therapist traveled
through the store with us while having the basket. When we found the item on the list, we would
show them to get approval then we could put it in the basket. I only remember a small bit of this,
but this was a fun therapy adventure.
I was doing therapy’s every day, not one, not two, but many different types of therapies.
Each day was different. I was finally excited the one day that I got approved after passing and
graduation that I could go home! My date that I returned home was March 3, 2011!
In summary, one thought that comes to my mind is “Why did I get in that Vehicle”? I am
a completely different person now than I was when I got into that vehicle. I love waking up
every morning despite the amount of sleep I get or don’t get, but I am ready to take on another
day!
Brain Injury Awareness is important to everyone. I want every person to know that a
brain injury can happen to any person anytime, at any place, and at any time, and we will always
be unprepared for living the new life of a Brain Injury Survivor. I encourage everyone to love
their life, live it and always smile!

Anna Pope
2010 Survivor

The post Survivor Story – Anna Pope appeared first on Brain Injury Florida.

Here is Peter’s story:

I work for the Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) as a
Program Administrator for Adult Services. Before moving to Florida, I worked in mental health in
Arizona for six years. In 2014, I became a community partner work incentives counselor (CWIC)
from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). This year is my tenth year working for VR. In
2020 I received a master’s in clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling from West
Virginia University (WVU). I am also a stroke survivor, and this is my story.

In October 2022, I went to the hospital with a blood infection. I was in the hospital for three
weeks and then went home with a pic line and waited for heart surgery. On November 1, 2022, I
had a stroke and was sent by helicopter to a different hospital for another three weeks to wait
for surgery. My stroke left me with Aphasia, a disorder affecting communication. It can impact
my speech and the way I write and understand both spoken and written language. I went home
on Thanksgiving Day 2022 and have been working on my recovery ever since.

A month after being released from the hospital, I began speech therapy at Brooks
Rehabilitation with Jyll Homes and Madelynn Adams for individual and group therapy. In
January 2023 on top of my therapy, I started attending the Brooks Rehabilitation Clubhouse
three days a week and on the other days, I would meet with my speech therapists for individual
and group therapy.

While attending the Clubhouse I applied and was approved to attend the Brooks Rehabilitation
Aphasia Center two days a week. This is where all the magic happened for me as I progressed
and learned how to read and write again. I also made new lasting friendships at Brooks that
inspire and encourage me every day. I found new joy in little wins in games like Words with

Friends or having conversations at coffee chat. Kathy Martin Brooks Brain Injury Clubhouse and
Jodi Morgan Brooks Aphasia Center and their staff made a huge difference in my recovery.

In June 2023 Dr. Day with Baptist Neurology Group cleared that I could go back to work part-
time five hours a day Monday-Thursday with Friday off so, that I could still go to the Aphasia
Center. In October 2023 I increased my hours to seven hours a day Monday- Thursday. I went
back to work full-time in November 2023 Monday- Friday 7 am to 3:30 pm which allowed me to
still go to doctor appointments in the afternoon.

While I was recovering, I opened a VR case. My counselor made a referral to the Rehabilitation
Engineer, and she made recommendations. With accommodation and technology, I am using
tools to make me successful at work. Also, my counselor helped me get the authorizations I
needed to successfully pay for my speech therapy and go to the Aphasia Center as my
insurance would not pay. Most recently in 2025, I have successfully closed my case with VR.

A recommendation was made in 2024, to be part of the FL statewide Brain Injury Florida (BIF)
advisory board. As a member, I have made recommendations to the State Plan, and in May
2025 I will be present at the BIF Annual Educational Conference.

I studied disability and worked at VR promoting and assisting people with disabilities in making
careers a reality. My stroke and aphasia were ironic. I was the one who could solve problems
and connect people with great services for them to return to work. I never thought in a million
years that I would be the one needing help. I learned that life could change in a second. I am a
husband, father, provider, friend, and professional, now I have a new sense of belonging as a
peer, advocate, student, and survivor.
It is funny how life can take you down a path to a place you never thought you would go. I am
happy to have survived and recovered and can share with you a little bit of my story, my hope,
and my gratitude. Remember to look forward to the future but, always be in the present!

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