The Journey Toward Recovery : Youth with Brain Injury

Jerome pedaled down the mountain, his friends Tommy and Eric racing to catch up.

The wide, flat path was made for smooth riding, but Jerome's mind wasn't on the trail.

A sudden rustling in the brush ahead startled him out of his daydreaming.

A dog darted out of the shrubs, then stopped dead in the trail.

The next several seconds seemed to pass in slow motion.

Jerome squeezed hard on the hand brakes, but it was too late.

His front wheel collided with the animal; the dog yelped; and Jerome somersaulted over his handlebars.

Tommy said later he would never forget how his friend flew through the air and collided head-on with the sycamore tree.

Eric said he'd never forget the sickening thud the impact made.

But what his friends would never forget, Jerome would never remember.

In a brilliant white flash, Jerome's life as he knew it was gone.What do bikes, cars, scooters, sports, tumors, strokes, guns, and the shaking of babies all have in common?

They all cause brain injuries. Every twenty-one seconds, one person in the United States sustains a traumatic brain injury. In "The Journey Toward Recovery: Youth with Brain Injury", you will read about Jerome, one teen who finds his life changed forever in a split-second accident.

Along the way, you will also learn about other forms of brain injury; how these injuries affect people's lives; and how schools, doctors, and lawmakers are helping you with this form of special need.