“Tomorrow is a new day, a new life,” Andrews said. “I’m here for a reason. I wasn’t supposed to be here, so I’m here for a reason.”

SURVIVOR PROFILE: Meet Kevin Andrews

Kevin Andrews knew he was going to be in the entertainment industry nearly his entire life.

At just 14 years old, Andrews went to see an outdoor concert for The Doobie Brothers that was being filmed for the original version of the movie A Star Is Born, starring Barbara Streisand. Surrounded by nearly 40,000 other people, Andrews was captivated by the stage design, especially the lighting and other choreographed elements.

“Ever since that experience, I decided that was what I was going to do for my whole life: be in the entertainment industry.”

First, however, he pursued a gymnastics career. Andrews was a talented young gymnast who went on to perform for his high school team. Just as he was preparing to pursue an academic scholarship at ASU, however, an injury ended Andrew’s gymnast ambitions.

That, however, took him a step closer to his teenage dream of being an entertainer. Transferring to a different high school for his senior year, he earned an arts/acting scholarship to ASU. Within a year, he was offered a job with a dinner theater company where he worked with major film stars.

Hungry for more knowledge and experience, he went on to train at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which only accepts applicants who have been recommended by established professional actors. Kevin was recommended by Pat O’Brien.

“After that, game on,” Andrews said.

At this point, Andrews was a trained dancer, actor, and singer. But, like many aspiring entertainers, he was broke and needed income.

Fortunately, he was also in excellent shape. Andrews entered a Mr. Arizona contest and did well.

Next, he put together a successful production dance show that soon toured 250 cities a year.
From there, Andrews created a lighting and sound company for events and festivals in the Phoenix area.

“I’ve always been in the industry and somehow learning how to do this,” said Andrews.

Andrews pivoted once more and began putting on after-parties for celebrities, but he struggled to find a suitable venue. So, he created the Stratus Events Center by transforming his sound and design company’s warehouse into a state-of-the-art studio. The venue was so embraced by Valley partygoers that it even won the Phoenix New Times Best in Phoenix award.

That was when Andrews’s luck ran out, with merciless speed and in a drastic way.

“I made some drastic mistakes with the business and ended up trusting the wrong person,” he said.

Within eight months, Andrews said he found himself in a position where “all of a sudden I’m left with just the money in my pocket.”

For the next year, he was homeless.

Undaunted, Andrews eventually picked himself up again with the help of a friend who took Andrews under his wing.

“Without him, I wouldn’t be here,” Andrews said of his friend and patron.

On more stable footing, Andrews refocused on his main dream, which he calls “my finale.”

“They can take the businesses and money away from me, but they can’t take what’s inside of me to do it again,” Andrews said.

Andrews envisioned a state-of-the-art music and entertainment venue in downtown Phoenix, his hometown. The high-end, urban facility would have retail space and restaurants in addition to a venue that could host anything from a wedding to a concert.

As he began approaching investors, Andrews believed he was on the cusp of the realization of a lifelong dream.

Life, as it usually does, had other plans. That’s where brain injury enters the picture.

Three years ago, just as Andrews began approaching investors for his plan, a bout of bacterial meningitis landed him in a medical coma. Meningitis often causes life-threatening inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord.

After 14 days of hospitalization, friends and family bid him farewell as doctors prepared to take him off life support.

But instead of dying, Andrews woke up. The sight of loved ones grieving around his bed was surprising and baffling.

“When I woke up, I saw people crying around me, and I didn’t know what was going on,” Andrews said.

And he didn’t for a very long time. Andrews awoke paralyzed and with his short-term memory in tatters. Like many brain injury survivors, he began the long, arduous process of learning basic physical and cognitive functioning again.

As Andrews reports, every doctor he saw reminded Andrews he awoke when his life was supposed to end.

“They said, “Andrews, you’re a miracle. So, whatever you get and have to deal with from this point on, embrace it,'” said Andrews.

Gratitude, however, didn’t change the fact that Andrews still had plenty to overcome.

An experienced actor and showman, Andrews suddenly faced anxiety in front of people.

It was a baffling development that was both physically and psychologically debilitating.

“This was all about waking up all of a sudden from an awful experience and then now I’ve got all of this,” Andrews said.

He was diagnosed with CPTSD and ADHD and spent a year in an inpatient recovery center. Then, making things worse, he got COVID.

“And that made the brain fog even worse,” he said.

Andrews responded by pouring himself into mindfulness and cognitive behavioral exercises, determined to find a way to move his vision of an entertainment venue forward.

“I just did everything I could to understand the problem and what my brain was doing,” he said.

Despite his efforts, the next time Andrews found himself in front of investors, he lost his train of thought and panicked, ultimately losing the chance to get the $10 million needed to fund his downtown Phoenix dream.

He also met again with potential investors he’d spoken to prior to getting meningitis. Andrews said they noticed the changes in his speech and attention, and although he was honest with them about his experience, they ultimately decided to pass.

“They thought I’d lost interest in the business, but that wasn’t it at all,” Andrews said. “I was honest with them, and I told them what had happened to me.”

That spurred him to seek more formal therapy, and he continues to learn and grow through mental wellness. It’s been a surprising journey of self-discovery for him.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself and things,” Andrews said.

He was even able to see the bright side of his latest setback. Since no one was going to invest in a public entertainment venue during Covid, Andrews used the time to continue to focus on his physical and psychological recovery.

Andrews worked on further improving his speech and mobility, focusing on the progress he’d made.

“I wish I knew in my twenties and thirties what I know now,” said Andrews.

Still, Andrews said he’s keeping a positive mindset. He’s taken feedback from the investors and plans to regroup and focus on those areas.

“Tomorrow is a new day, a new life,” Andrews said. “I’m here for a reason. I wasn’t supposed to be here, so I’m here for a reason.”

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance 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.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

• Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
• Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
• Hosts virtual and in-person support groups for survivors and families
• Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
• Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
• Manages statewide Help Line: 888-500-9165