Editor’s Note:In January 2016, while Brett was on a winter break from Indiana University, his family vacation in northern Wisconsin turned tragic when he went off a ski jump and fell sideways, landing on his head and shoulder. He broke his clavicle and nearly died. After receiving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation from his dad, Brett was transported immediately to a local hospital. Later, he was diagnosed with a severe traumatic brain injury that affected memory, comprehension, speaking and mobility. The injury also affected his daily activities such as breathing, eating, walking and reading.
At theRehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Brett received intensive speech, occupational therapy and physical therapy. He had to relearn how to breathe, swallow, eat, sit, walk, talk and balance. On March 18, 2016, he walked out the clinic’s front door on his own.View a videoabout Brett’s rehab at RIC.
因为额外的物理治疗需要我住在家里，我不得不推迟回到印第安纳大学。因此，我决定参加2016年秋季和2017年春季的CLC。The quality of teaching at CLC is amazing, andthere are a lot of kind people here.我的脑损伤影响了我同时做听力和笔记等多项任务的能力。我与残疾学生办公室合作，确定我需要哪些住宿条件。学校为我提供的住宿条件之一是我在上课时做笔记。这让我能够专注于授课老师和课程材料。
CLC is playing a major role in helping me move forward and transition back to Indiana University in the fall of 2017. The Office for Students with Disabilities has written a report that includes information from my doctors and a summary of which accommodations are in place at CLC—and especially, which ones have helped me. This is invaluable information that will be used by the faculty and staff at Indiana this fall.
After nearly dying, then facing the possibility of living in a permanent vegetative state, then seeing myself regain the ability to learn again and re-enroll in college, I’m now thankful for everything—large and small. My advice for students is to believe that you can learn. And never give up. Following the initial therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, I had physical and occupational therapy six hours a day, five days a week at a Wheeling clinic. On top of this, I had to relearn how to learn before I could enroll at CLC.
This past year has been really hard, and I understand how fortunate I am that I am still here. I’m so thankful to EVERYONE who has helped me along the way including the medical staff, therapists and all of the people who were praying for me: Dad, Mom, my sisters Megan and Haley and my girlfriend, Maddie. I could never have done it without all of you.
When I graduate from Indiana University and complete graduate school,我想做一名物理治疗师，或者从事其他帮助他人的职业。出事之前，我的专业是医学预科。现在，我愿意从事任何能帮助别人的工作。
Last fall, after I struggled taking a written test在一堂社会学导论课上，教授做了一点研究，发现对我进行测试的最好方法是口头测试。这是另一种对我帮助很大的适应方式，因为失语症是我创伤性脑损伤的一种状况。由于这种情况，有时我理解和构词有困难。通过口头测试，我能够交流我的知识和理解每堂课。这是一种很棒的感觉，能够学习和证明我的知识的材料。我真的为自己感到骄傲。
This semester, I’m taking an American Sign Language classbecause my speech therapist recommended it as a good, practical skill for any career involving therapy. The instructor has been very accommodating, and another student who’s my note taker practices sign language with me every week. The other students in class also have been very supportive. I am also taking an oceanography course this semester, and the professor has been very patient and helpful with my accommodations. I am super excited to be taking a science class again!
I recommend CLC, especially if you’ve just graduated from high school and you’re undecided about a major and your career plans.从经济上讲，从CLC开始学习是更明智的选择，因为社会学入门等可转移的通识教育课程的成本远低于四年制大学提供的相同课程。And with three campuses, CLC’s location is extremely convenient.
For more on Brett’s story of recovery, visit theRehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s website.