Susan Michalowski

The normal sounds of a quiet Sunday afternoon in Sheepshead Bay was shattered by the screams of sirens, as a bicyclist was rushed to Coney Island Hospital. On Nov. 26,1995 at 1:20 PM police and EMS personnel rushed to the site of an accident. A 19-year-old boy was lying in the street critically injured after being struck by a van. As he lay near death, EMS workers said it was bad, the kid wouldn’t make it. The 10-block ride to the hospital seemed an eternity. The EMT’s were pounding on the boys chest and yelling, "Hold on Eric. Stay with us."

The lives of a family were irrevocably changed.

Our son was lucky. He lay in that strange land of limbo between life and death for months but survived. Is he the same as before? Eric has severe physical and cognitive impairments so all our lives have changed.. This letter is not to dwell on what could have been but hopefully to give strength to others. Eric is now 23. He has made amazing progress. Its not easy for him, or for us his family. The road to recovery is a constant struggle as is the determination to continue. Roadblocks, both physical and man made by government rulings and such are always in the way. Only a TBI victim and family can imagine the life shattering effects a brain injury can bring. It brings despair and hopelessness and once you get beyond that it brings anger. Recognize these emotions. You need to mourn to be able to continue. Go one day at a time. I still can’t easily look to the future or at the past. Get all the information you need on the injury. Find all the resources available and use them. The best things you can do for your family member other than accept the new person as they have become is to fight for all they are entitled to. Never give up. Having Eric home with us is not easy but I wouldn’t have it any other way.