Kevin Greene had just left work on his 22nd birthday and was exhausted. While he would've preferred to stay home and sleep, his friends convinced him to go out and celebrate. That night, his life changed forever. On the drive home, he was in a devastating accident where he was ejected from the car and thrown 100 feet. Kevin broke his spine and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Lacking all sensation and movement below the waist, the once active young man had to adapt to life in a wheelchair. Thanks to Kessler Foundation’s funding of disability employment initiatives and rehabilitation research, Kevin is regaining his independence.

 

Kevin is still learning how to make a new life for himself. “The hardest part for me is trying to be the man I was and integrating ‘that guy’ into the man I am now,” Kevin stated. “I had to change everything about my life after the accident. I needed a different life path and that has been very difficult. Five years later, I am just getting back on my feet, so to speak.”

 

Unable to do his normal heavy lifting and building work, Kevin thought back to what interested him in school—science. He enrolled in the laboratory technician-training program at JFK’s Vocational Rehabilitation Department, one of the disability employment programs funded by Kessler Foundation. The training program achieved its goal.

 

Kevin raves about his instructor, job coach, and program supervisor. In addition to teaching him everything he needed to know about being a laboratory technician, he also learned job-searching skills. “I got to see exactly what I wanted to do after the program ended,” exclaimed Kevin. “I received great computer training. I learned a lot and was able to land a job in a laboratory soon after finishing my training.”

 

Upon completing the JFK training program, he was offered a job. Kevin is now responsible for maintaining a small medical laboratory; he orders chemicals, keeps maintenance logs of all machinery, stains prepared slides, covers the slides for later review by a pathologist, and prepares histological specimens. Kevin’s success in his new career has motivated him to continue his education. He is completing his associate’s degree online.

 

As a result of the brain injury, Kevin also struggles with his memory. He can’t recall much before the accident and even a few years post-injury. He participates in TBI research at Kessler Foundation, which explores new ways to improve thinking, learning, memory, processing speed, and fatigue in individuals with brain injury. “I sometimes feel that the effects of the brain injury are worse than my paralysis. People see me in my wheelchair and understand my physical limitations, but they don’t realize that my memory is a constant struggle,” he said. “I participate in research studies at Kessler Foundation because the brain is so very important and we do not know everything about it. The brain does not repair like the other parts of the body. Breakthroughs made at Kessler Foundation will help people in the future recover from brain injury.”

 

Determined help people minimize their risk for disabling injuries, he also volunteers for the NJ chapter of ThinkFirst—a national injury prevention program for students from kindergarten to high school seniors. Kevin is one of ThinkFirst’s VIPs (Voices for Injury Prevention), individuals with spinal cord injuries who explain how they were injured and how their injuries could have been prevented. Kessler Foundation has sponsored the NJ chapter for more than two decades.

 

Now 28, Kevin focuses on the positive. He found a way to start a new career and influence the behaviors of young people. “Life is precious and people need to take it more seriously. Life changes in an instant and not always for the better,” Kevin emphasized. “I have been down a dark road, but I found my way back. Not everyone can do that. Why take the chance? Make better choices! Do not be an example. Set an example!”