It was 2007 and that night changed my life forever. I was riding my Harley and it was 11:30. I was in my way home from a friends when  a car pulled out in front of me on a one lane road. As I swerved to miss them, I realised I was  losing control and I hit the curb. The bike’s frame broke in the impact and it jammed into the wheel, making it stop suddenly and buck hard. I was thrown into the road. Landing on my head, I was bleeding out of every opening; eyes, ears, and mouth. Knocked unconscious, I was in a coma for  16 day’s in coma. But the medical team decided it was necessary to extend that, and induced the coma so I was out for a total of 27 days.

My wife was by my side throughout  my coma. Once I woke they moved me to a rehabilitation unit. She would stay there as she was able to shower there too. This helped us both as our lives were crashing around us.

Life’s achievements washed away.

I had my own trucking company, Eisenschenk transport Inc but a total of 2 months stay in the hospital meant it wasn’t generating any income. Everything I had a loan on was eventuality repossessed. So to make a long story short, my life as I knew it was flushed down the toilet. A traumatic brain injury was the outcome and nothing has been the same since.

It was very hard at first to cope with losing everything, but the love of my family helped a lot. My brain injury created many struggles. I had to learn how to walk again and I couldn’t even get dressed without help. 10 years on I still struggle with headaches but for the most part I’ve adapted.

My kids are my priority and I take care of them and the house. It took a long time to get the family finances back on track, but we did it. I’m very good at being a stay at home dad. My truck driving background, with the independence and always being on the move made it difficult to adjust to my new lifestyle. At only 38 when my accident happened, I was in my prime and was enjoying the successful career I had built for myself. Nevertheless I  adapted and in the end my family is all that matters.