Every once in awhile you get a chance to really impact someones life… or have them impact yours!
Here is Garrett’s story!
Garrett was nearly 13 when he and his best friend were racing down a ski mountain to get in the last run of the day, as boys often do.
As they were racing down the mountain their ski’s entangled and put them out of control. They hit the tower of the chair lift.
Garrett suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, popped both lunges, broke ribs, damaged his spleen and broke bones in his enter ear. (He had a helmet on)
Garrett was in a coma for 28 days, he lived. He was in the hospital for 3 months. The doctors said Garrett’s injury to the brain was so severe, it was like his brain had been erased. Everything he’d ever learned erased.
He had to learn everything all over again, if he was lucky, he would learn. It was quite a challenge because of the impact on the left side of his brain, he lost language. The lost of language means understanding language, speaking, reading and writing. The doctor’s didn’t know how far Garrett would go.
He lay in bed unable to do anything at all, just like a newborn baby. Garrett did have a few fortunate things on his side. He age, his family and friends but most importantly Garrett had his faith.
With years of very hard work he slowly started to relearn tasks he had once mastered. Sitting up, standing, walking, after learning to even swallow, he learned to feed himself, learned to talk, count, identifying letter and numbers, read. He had to relearn social skills. There was one thing Garrett never had to relearn, his knowledge in God, his faith.
Early on when Garrett didn’t have language the nurse brought his food to his bed. He lifted his left hand, making the sign of the cross, blessing his food. That was one of his first purposeful movement on his own, to thank God for his food.
Garrett always knew the Lord had a plan for his life and he never questioned it.
It’s been five years and he is graduating from High School with his class. He has learned 12 years of education in 4 years.
Although he still has his struggles he knows he is here for a reason and the reason is to glorify God, the loving God who saved him. If you ever get the opportunity to meet Garrett you will see Gods love in his eyes and a larger than life smile.
He truly is the happiest person you’ll ever meet.
Garrett’s Senior Pictures. Enjoy!
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