Have you had a stroke, spinal cord injury or traumatic brain Injury?

If so, you are one of 10 million people in the U.S. today living with the physical and mental challenges that result from stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury.

Finishing a cycling vacation. April 2009

I am, too.

On Memorial Day of 2009—at the peak of my career as a physician, medical researcher, and CEO for a respected university medical center—I took a bike ride that changed my life forever. Suddenly encountering a car on a one-lane road, I was thrown over the handlebars at a high speed while attempting to stop. When I hit the ground, I knew instantly that I had broken my neck.

Paralyzed from the shoulders down with no sensation or movement, hospitalized for 129 days—my prognosis was not good. I was told that the next 12 months would reveal the limits of my neurological recovery. You’ve probably heard the same thing, the “this is as good as it’s gonna get for you” prediction.

I’m here to tell you otherwise: my recovery continues to this day, and has far surpassed all expectations. Now, as the Director of the University of Rochester Neurorestoration Institute, I’ve made it my mission to share what I’ve learned and help others get back to life.

You can get back to life

As a physician and a patient, I’ve learned there is much we can do to improve recovery after stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury. I want to make the path to recovery easier and better—for you, your family, and the therapists and medical professionals who are part of your journey—and that’s why I’ve created this website. Here, you will find practical, up-to-date, honest information to help you recover more function, avoid common setbacks, and improve your quality of life. I want you to gain more control over your choices, to set new goals, and to get the most out of the resources at your disposal—plus others that you do not know about yet.

Rochester NY: Finishing a charity ride. June 2017

Let’s get started! I hope what you read here will inspire you to overcome the challenges you face as you recover from your own neurological injury. And, please, visit often. You’ll find new stories, information on the latest medical breakthroughs, and lots of encouragement as I continually add new content to the website. Plus, you’ll always find hope, compassion, and understanding from a guy who’s been there.

What is an Acute Neurological Injury? 

Stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury are all acute neurological injuries, because you suddenly go from normal to being paralyzed, and even unable to think properly. While that information may be surprising to you since each of these injuries seems so different from the others, the fact is there is tremendous overlap in what has happened to the person’s brain, central nervous system, and functional abilities after any one of these ANIs. So, it is not surprising that there is a commonality to many of the after-effects as well as the therapies for those who have experienced an acute neurological injury. That is why we are focusing on all three at the Neurorestoration Institute, and why you’ll find information on recovery from all three on this website.