NAVIGATING LIFE-CHANGING and TRANSFORMATIONAL INJURIES
Matt's Road to Recovery
After a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
On this website, you’ll find Our Story—what we tried, what worked, and how long it took. I also share the hard-to-find guidance we uncovered while navigating uncharted waters, and offer helpful hints, support, and encouragement to ease your journey. Please remember to keep your eyes on the prize, persevere when hope feels fragile, and celebrate each small victory.
Matthew Ace Watkins—Oct. 2017
Our children were encouraged to pursue their dreams and excellence, which Matt embraced thoroughly. He graduated Valedictorian in a class of ~450 students. He earned a double degree in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering from the University of Buffalo and his Master's Degree and a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University.
Dr. Matthew Watkins taught for one year as a visiting professor at Harvey Mudd College in Clairmont, California, before trying his hand in the tech industry at Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon. He quickly realized that his preferred vocation was teaching. Moving back east, he taught at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, for three years and then at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, for almost three years before he hit a roadblock.
Matt had a predictable, fulfilling life that promised so much more—until it didn't.
On April 9, 2018, at 34 years old,
Matt suffered a brain hemorrhage.
He lay unconscious and barely breathing for nearly 28 hours before help arrived.
Our children were encouraged to pursue their dreams and excellence, which Matt embraced thoroughly. He graduated Valedictorian in a class of ~450 students. He earned a double degree in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering from the University of Buffalo and his Master's Degree and a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University.
Dr. Matthew Watkins taught for one year as a visiting professor at Harvey Mudd College in Clairmont, California, before trying his hand in the tech industry at Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon. He quickly realized that his preferred vocation was teaching. Moving back east, he taught at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, for three years and then at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, for almost three years before he hit a roadblock.
Monday afternoon, April 9th, I received the news that no mother ever wants or expects to hear.
Matt was in critical condition, in an ambulance, and en route to a hospital.
The police had been dispatched to look for him. Matt had a known medical condition, had not shown up for work, nor was he responding to calls of inquiry. They found Matt lying motionless on the bathroom floor. We were notified that he was alive, unconscious, and barely breathing. His condition was critical, and doctors recommended we let him pass. This was the beginning of our story and "Matt's Road to Recovery."
My name is Sarah Watkins. I am Matt's mother, a physical therapist, and a woman of faith. It has been six years since that fateful day. We have faced the giants of fear, exhaustion, and an uncertain future.
My 44 years of experience working in hospitals, the ICU, and outpatient clinics did not prepare me to walk in as a parent and face the vacant shell of my once vibrant son and the vast unknown. . .
If you have a similar story, I hope you will find solace in our shared experiences and feel encouraged by the details of what we faced, tried, and learned. May you be motivated to keep moving forward and challenged not only to survive but thrive.
For those who have not, I hope you will gain a new awareness and appreciation of TBI survivors' needs and struggles and question what you can do. Small gestures and the knowledge that we are not alone encourage us to keep going.
My Vision:
Many books and resources are out there that recount the journey others have experienced. Our situation is not unique—many have gone before us.
But here, I would like to shift attention from the big picture to the little talked-about minutiae of everyday living. After a TBI, most individuals, unlike their prior self, will need far more time to relearn simple skills, which are the essential building blocks for the next level of skills. It is an endurance race determined to discourage, drain one's energy and their resolve, and ultimately trick us into giving up too soon.
Intended Audience:
Families and caregivers—this will resonate with you most because it is written from my perspective as a mother and caregiver.
Survivors of traumatic brain injuries (TBI)—you may empathize with and remember facing similar struggles.
Clinical staff—you may glimpse opportunities to enhance care and services and enable patients and families to manage better in the real world.
The Community—I encourage you to identify opportunities to offer help or ways to walk alongside families and caregivers (meals, companionship, respite for an evening out, encouragement, etc.).
Website Disclaimer:
Please realize there is no way to predict if another individual will have the same outcome as Matt, even if they do all the same things.
Seek additional input from your team of trusted healthcare providers, experts in the field, and qualified sources,.
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