The Denbigh House Member Team

The Denbigh House members below chose to share their stories online and only represent a sampling of the full Denbigh House membership.
Kelvin I am new to the Denbigh House. My name is Kelvin. I currently live in Newport News, Va. I am from San Diego, CA where I was with the Navy as a technician. I have always loved to fix things, from repairing watches to working on major appliances. I have a beautiful wife and one daughter of school age. My injury occurred while on Navy duty in 2003. I hope the Denbigh House will teach me the skills to get back to work. I enjoy repairing things and would love to work with a company that will accept me with the abilities I have. So far the Denbigh House has helped me regain my self-confidence.
Lois My name is Lois B. I’m a 53 y/o retired USAF wife, the mother of 2 adult sons, and a brain injury survivor. Prior to becoming a brain injury survivor, I was a RN working with Neurology patients in a Regional Hosp. in IN, and an IN Medicaid Care Coordinator working with Special Needs Children & Families. I became a brain injury survivor 1 month after my 45 th birthday on Jan. 19, 2001. I was working at the hospital when a Physical Therapist noticed I was behaving differently. I was sent home from work & diagnosed with Complex Partial Seizure Disorder in March of 2001. At that point I was suddenly living what I had only observed. I began following the same instructions I had given to brain injury patients just 2 months before.
July of 2004 I underwent a right temporal craniotomy to remove the portion of my brain damaged by neurons, but lost a lot of memory of childhood & those of being a young parent. I had problems remembering people, names, etc. after the surgery. My husband & sons were my care-givers & did a wonderful job of it. They drove me everywhere, did the shopping, made sure I got my meds, & cleaned the house. Sometimes I felt awful that they had to do for me when I felt it was always my job to care for them.
Since I’ve always read the paper, I began following The Denbigh House from the moment it opened its doors. I was allowed to start driving again the summer of 2007. The first place I came was to The Denbigh House hoping that with my background I could volunteer, instead I became member. The Denbigh House has managed to take a RN and make a desk-jockey out of me. But I needed the skills I’ve learned here. I was about as computer stupid as they come, but now can write a newsletter article with the best of them. I come to The Denbigh House twice a week now, on Mondays & Tuesdays I’m a volunteer RN in the Women’s Health Clinic at Langley A.F.B. I’m also a member of the Newport News Mayor’s Committee on Disabilities. I’m an advocate for brain injury survivors & for the disabled period. I feel like because of The Denbigh House I’m allowed to be who I once was at times. Currently I’m preparing to address medical students regarding disability and what isn’t taught in a classroom. I’m hoping to make a difference in the lives of these young people, even though I know I can never return to hands-on care. I still have a voice. I can use it as an advocate & I can use it to help the young people entering the medical profession.
Travis Hi, my name is Travis and I am going to tell you how I received my brain injury and it what way it has CHANGED MY LIFE!! Back in the year 2000 I was bitten by a mosquito. The mosquito that bit me caused me to be diagnosed with Encephalitis and Epilepsy. I can not really remember ANYTHING prior to my injury. I have to have people tell me what happened to me and that really makes me mad, but I try to give 100% at everything that I do. I was 15 years old when all of this started and I am 22 years old now. A real pain in the, but is that I still am not able to drive. So that makes trying to get a job almost imposable. You are probably saying, “Why doesn’t he just have his Mom or Dad take him to find a job?” I would do that, but my Dad just up and left my Mom and me one day. Yeah, that is a good Dad for me!! I am not sure what my goal in life is. I just know that I have to a better person than my Dad is.
Eric My name is Eric and I am 36 years old. In 2002, I received my brain injury when I was shot in the head. Prior to my injury, I was going to school to be a nurse. My injury put those plans on hold. The Denbigh House helps me everyday. The staff helps me to remember important things and get answers to all my questions. When I’m here, I feel more relaxed and comfortable about things that are going on in my life..
Mac I am Mac and I have been a member of Denbigh House for almost a month now. I have found the other members and the staff to be most agreeable. Before my brain injury was detected, I earned a B.S. in Political Science and History with honors from Hampden-Sydney College. I was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa in my senior year. My daughter Elizabeth was born the following year and then I earned my Juris Doctor and General Practice certificate at Vermont Law School. My family and I then moved back to Virginia where I practiced law for thirteen years. Then I was home one evening with my mother and father-my wife having filed for divorce-the only way I remember what the day was is that on that evening Virginia Tech was playing football against Boston College that evening. I remember thinking how odd it was that the game was played at night, and what nice dry-looking rain gear The Marching Virginians now had. Until transferring to Hampden-Sydney in 1987 I had attended Tech and was a sousaphone player in the Marching Virginians. After significant grilling by the emergency room doctor, the best clue that I can summon to the question ”Why did I have a stroke?” is that while at Hampden-Sydney, I played rugby, and that I can remember thinking “Golly I hope there’s not a second train on this track” on at least two occasions. You see, I was a 140 pound winger and we had games against teams that had guards at least 100 pounds heavier than me. I also went to the 1989 spring formal with a band-aid across my nose because I had been kicked in the face by a rugby boot the previous weekend. Before joining The Denbigh House I was like Groucho Marx in that I was not sure if I wanted to join any club that would have me as a member. The Denbigh House benefits me by showing me that I am not the only person around that has a Traumatic Brain Injury, and it also gives me incentive to exercise my work skill of typing. As for the future, I plan to open my own business.
Wes My name is Wes. I am 27 years old. Before my Brain Injury I was a high school student in Mathews County. I live with my mom and dad. I really like baseball and have been playing for five plus years. The position I played was pitcher and my number was 14. I really enjoy Nascar Racing & watching Dale Earnhardt Jr. I also like hunting with shotguns. I received my brain injury in a car accident when I was 18 years old. While at the Denbigh House I have been working on how to cook independently, learning American Sign Language, and learning how to maintain personal space.
Marvin My name is Marvin and I have been a member at the Denbigh House for two years. In 1977 I had a stroke which caused my brain injury. I hope to go back to work soon and the Denbigh house is helping me improve my job skills. I enjoy working on big projects such as starting the garden, painting, and typing newsletter articles.
Wesley My name is Wesley and I am 42 years old. I sustained my brain injury eight years ago as a result of a stroke. Prior to my stroke I worked at a bait and tackle shop, The Rusty Nail Bar and Grill and a Peninsula Family Skating Rink. I also have worked at W.M. Jordan Co. for several years. I am planning to live independently soon and I believe The Denbigh House has helped a great deal, because I am able to get out of the house and socialize.
Barry G. is 63 years old. Before Barry‘s injury he was the manager of a Hess service station in Hampton, on Pembroke Avenue. Before Barry began working he was a cadet at Hargrave Military Academy. He also attended Hampton Roads Business College and took a business course. Barry was 27 years old at the time of his injury in 1971; Barry was injured in an automobile accident. The Denbigh House has helped me to socialize and interact with other people. It has also helped me to help other people – that is a key role in Barry’s life.
My name is Richard D. and I am 61 years old now, but I was a 29 year old car salesman for the Roughton Pontiac Import Car Center when I had an automobile accident which put me in a coma in February of 1977. I lived in Back Bay in Virginia Beach at the time and was returning home from a poker game at a friend’s house in Sandbridge in a rain storm. I was driving a 1969 Volvo PV544 and the car swerved on the windy road, I lost control, struck a telephone pole and the next thing I knew it was June and I was in Norfolk General Hospital unable to walk or speak clearly. After a year of physical therapy and speech therapy, I could walk, but my speech left much to be desired. My main goal is to improve my communication skills by interacting with the other participants in my Denbigh House experience. Which, when I had my intake meeting with Alex, I though I would hate, but since found to be very fulfilling.
I’m Susan W., a 48 year old Navy brat, living up and down the coast of California for 10 years…Dad being transferred every 2 years. After quite a cross-country trip in 1970, 2 years in Florida…then finally moved to Virginia. I graduated, with honors, from high school and went to study at UVA, earning a bachelor in Architecture in 1982. Unfortunately, that summer I was bit by a mosquito that was carrying viral encephalitis which comatose me for 3 months. That brain injury has made me epileptic with a terrible short-term memory…BUT I’ve gotten a degree in Graphic Arts and had a part-time job a telephone surveyor at Issues and Answers, until they closed down. Denbigh House keeps me busy. I do, though, need to pursue more in my arts and communications.
My name is Thaddeus H. and I am 22 years old. My brain injury was in 2004, and I was in a car accident – its crazy. They say I was going to die but the Lord got Power. For real I was in the Army in Alabama. I got a daughter her name is Teelah Hilton. She is four years old. I like it at Denbigh House and “I would like to go back to work”.
Will My name is Will. I was a victim of a drunk driver accident while walking my dog on Oct.31, 2002, Halloween, 3:45 PM. I’m told. After awaking from an extended coma I needed help returning successfully to my life. Having had a Traumatic Brain Injury everything is now different. My memory has been, in many cases erased. I was a T V Chief Engineer professionally in N Y C. I remembered engineering and computer technology but now I have to relearn so many things, like my friends and my family. My life is new again. After moving to Virginia from New York, I was told about The Denbigh House by the doctor who led a Cognitive Memory Recovery group and also by one of the members of that group. They were well aware of the needs of “Survivors”. They really hit the mark in referring me! Since being at The Denbigh House I am reclaiming a lot of the “me”. The staff is very aware of our needs and helps us focus on learning on moving forward with our lives. As one staff member says, “No two brain injuries are alike.” The staff is very capable and assists us as we recover.
Donna My name is Donna. Before my brain injury, I worked at Langley Air Force Base as a cook/chef. I was injured about 5 years ago when a car hit me while I was standing on the side of the road. My goal is to get back to work in the food preparation area. The Denbigh House helps me by allowing me to practice my work skills – for example, sometimes I get to help prepare the daily lunches for all the members. In summary, I want my life to get back to the way it was before I was hit by the car.
My name is Kyle. I received my brain injury – no joke – on April 1, 2005 – April Fool’s Day, not a good joke was it?- Seriously, I got my injury from a car accident where the other driver was out of control and crossed over into my lane and hit me head-on. Before my brain injury, I worked in the finance department of a large corporation. I was married and we have a special little boy (4 yrs old now). My interests now are similar to the pre-injury timeframe – I enjoy watching and playing sports – although playing may be a little difficult nowadays because I also have some physical injuries that are still recovering. My current goals are to get back into the workforce with a great company and even the Denbigh House is helping me practice my work skills before I venture out there. I would also like to help others who are in a similar situation as mine.
Hi, my name is Gwen! In 1973, I was in a car accident. I was driving to work on a rainy morning when I skidded off the road and hit the guardrail. I cannot go out on the town because they think something will happen to me. I cannot budget money and I can’t drive anymore. The Denbigh House has helped me go out to places, go out with people and helped me remember what I am supposed to do. The Denbigh House has also helped me help others by participating in the Meals on Wheels program.
J.R. My name is J.R. I am a 44 year old male who had a brain abscess in 1974 at age ten. I was a student in 5 th grade when it occurred. It left me partly paralyzed and a bit slower than most people. I also had speech impairment due to it. The doctor had no known cause for the abscess. I had the typical “making fun of the disabled” since then. In 1983 I had another set of 5 abscesses (a bunch of grapes, as the doctors said) which put me out of college. Later that year at John Hopkins’s Hospital I was diagnosed with Hereditary Hemorrlagic Telangiectasia, which causes nose bleeds, shortness of breath and brain abscesses. My current goals are to return to the workforce, continue to live independently, and work on my heath concerns, including diabetes, which I got at age ten.
Stephen My name is Stephen. I am 48 years old. I fell 18 steps at my home when I had a stroke in October 2005. I was 46 years old. I did work at AAFES and the Newport News Shipyard. I was a cleaner and working at a warehouse loading trucks. I like the activities there at Denbigh House and it’s really helped me to look for a job as a volunteer at Colonial Williamsburg.
Geoffrey Hi! My name is Geoffrey. I live in Newport News, Va. I have Epilepsy or another word is seizures. I started to have seizures when I was 7 years old. I have had brain surgery to try to stop the seizures and they planted a Vague Nerve Stimulator (VNS) in my chest to try to stop the seizures. I am glad I am able to come to the Denbigh House because I am good on the computer and answer the phone at home, why not do it at a place that can help me in the future.
Richard My name is Richard and I am 60 years of age. My wife and I have two “children”. Son, Carter, is at Randolph Macon College and our daughter Elizabeth owns her own store called “Harbor Specialties” Charleston, S.C. My wife and I reside in Newport News Virginia and feel blessed for the opportunity to live each new day and share God’s beauty. On September 22, 2003 I fell from a ladder after Hurricane Isabel and sustained a severe brain injury and a lot of other problems. To my look in the past you would find this I had a great career in several jobs. First, I taught school from 1969 – 1977 with 7 – 12 th grade students in science. From 1977 -1991 ran a planetarium and then started into his video productions, TV commercials and aerial photograph. Since the 2003 accident I have not been able to return into business. But as you see from my photos that I lifes to do this and let others enjoy them as well. I come to Denbigh House every week to learn something new.