Adam was barely out of high school when life changed forever.
After graduation, Adam went to work as a plumber and was earning a decent living for his age. Able to purchase 2 vehicles, Adam had lots of friends, was in a serious relationship, and life was good. One day, after a fun trip to the Outer Banks with friends and being awake for 36 hours on caffeinated beverages, Adam fell asleep behind the wheel of his car. Despite being in his safety belt, Adam suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury.
After a long hospital recovery, Adam was sent home to live with his family. Now confined to a wheelchair, Adam required round-the-clock care. He was angry with his situation and eventually became too much for his family to manage.
At only 21 years of age, the only place for someone like Adam seemed to be in a nursing home.
Adam and his family eventually found The Beacon House – an Eggleston resource that provides brain injury survivors with unique services to rehabilitate them and reconnect them to the community. Beacon House’s program manager helped Adam and his family navigate funding and housing resources that allowed Adam to have a more independent life.
Twenty years later, Adam attends The Beacon House 5 days a week. Beacon House gives him a sense of hope and allows him to continue his journey of rehabilitation. At Beacon House, Adam has a sense of connection and community – minimizing the isolation that so many people face after a brain injury. He is also able to give back to his community by sharing his story with 4,800 driver’s education students in all of the Virginia Beach public schools each year.
