From Survival to Success:
Luke’s Journey of Resilience and Recovery
Luke, a newly-minted Specialist (Spec4) serving an Airborne unit at Fort Bragg, was on his way to lunch with some buddies.
It was an August day in 2018 and when the group approached a road Luke made it a point to look left, then right, then left again.
“You must have been been a crossing guard at school,” one of Luke’s buddies joked.
Luke stepped off the curb and began to cross the street.
Seconds later, a car going 37-miles-per-hour slammed into him, catapulting him into the intersection. Luke’s shoulder and head struck the pavement hard.
The speeding driver had been distracted by her phone and hadn’t seen Luke and his friends on the crosswalk.
Luke’s buddies rushed to where his body lay crumpled on the pavement. Luke was still conscious and at first wanted to try to move, but his friends – all with military first aid training – urged him to lay still until help arrived. Luke lost consciousness.
He would remain in a coma for the next 87 days.
Through the collaboration and persistence of Luke’s family and the BIAAZ veteran advocate, Luke entered an inpatient program designed to address both his physical and mental health needs. He Excelled! Surviving a traumatic brain injury takes years, and Luke’s story highlights the rewards of resilience.
From Survival to Success:
Luke’s Journey of Resilience and Recovery
Luke, a newly-minted Specialist (Spec4) serving an Airborne unit at Fort Bragg, was on his way to lunch with some buddies.
It was an August day in 2018 and when the group approached a road Luke made it a point to look left, then right, then left again.
“You must have been been a crossing guard at school,” one of Luke’s buddies joked.
Luke stepped off the curb and began to cross the street.
Seconds later, a car going 37-miles-per-hour slammed into him, catapulting him into the intersection. Luke’s shoulder and head struck the pavement hard.
The speeding driver had been distracted by her phone and hadn’t seen Luke and his friends on the crosswalk.
Luke’s buddies rushed to where his body lay crumpled on the pavement. Luke was still conscious and at first wanted to try to move, but his friends – all with military first aid training – urged him to lay still until help arrived. Luke lost consciousness.
He would remain in a coma for the next 87 days.
Through the collaboration and persistence of Luke’s family and the BIAAZ veteran advocate, Luke entered an inpatient program designed to address both his physical and mental health needs. He Excelled! Surviving a traumatic brain injury takes years, and Luke’s story highlights the rewards of resilience.
A Mother’s Love Focused on Recovery
Luke’s mother, Mary, was forced to face every parent’s worst nightmare. But underneath the fear and worry was a mother’s laser-focused determination to do everything in her power to help her son recover.
Eventually, Mary found the Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ).
By the time BIAAZ received Mary’s call it was three arduous, challenging years after Luke’s initial accident. Though Luke survived the accident, he found himself in a similar position to many survivors of head injury: despite some physical and cognitive progress, debilitating issues remained that made reentry into regular life seem impossible.
The years following the accident saw Luke discharged from several rehabilitation facilities. But he still wasn’t getting better in the ways that matter most.
Mary and her husband Tom were connected with a BIAAZ veteran advocate.
It didn’t take long for the veterans advocate to identify the overlooked aspect of Luke’s recovery – his mental health and emotional well-being. It took a couple tries to find a facility that could work with Luke and directly address the complex intersection of traumatic brain injury (TBI), serious mental illness (SMI), substance use disorder (SUD), and behavioral health challenges, but the third try was the charm.
Real Recovery at Last
The BIAAZ veteran advocate worked with Luke and his family and got Luke admitted to an inpatient mental health program designed specifically to address multiple facets of recovery simultaneously.
Luke healed and began to thrive. After successfully completing a 60-day program he was doing so much better the family took a much needed and long-anticipated two-week vacation together.
Through the collaboration and persistence of Luke’s family and the BIAAZ veteran advocate, Luke entered an inpatient program designed to address both his physical and mental health needs.
He excelled.
After completing a 60-day program, Luke emerged stronger, more focused, and filled with renewed purpose. For the first time in years, his family saw hope taking root. To celebrate this major milestone, the family took a well-earned two-week vacation together—a simple act that marked a monumental step forward in Luke’s recovery journey.
From Patient to Scholar
After his rehabilitation, Luke enrolled at Arizona Christian University, where he graduated with honors in 2025. He wrote and published a book about his recovery and today is earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at Grand Canyon University.
Surviving a traumatic brain injury takes years, and Luke’s story highlights the rewards of resilience.
The Brain Injury Association of Arizona is the state’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of brain injury survivors, their families, and caregivers. Your generous support is crucial to continue providing them with programs and services.
ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF ARIZONA
The Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.
What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.