“Our son, John, has been at the Aurora school since 2017. Today, John is known around the Arc of Loudoun campus as a very active and tall teenage boy who loves to be outside. The staff who have worked with him the longest, often point out the growth they have seen in him physically, academically, and emotionally. He cycles through occasional periods of frustration and difficulty, and the staff are patient, communicative, and open minded during these periods. Overall, though, the growth we have seen in him while attending the Aurora school, has been tremendous.

With his emerging communication skills, facilitated by staff at school, he is more receptive to our communication with him. I hope that someday he will be able to understand how much we love him, and I feel indebted to the Aurora School for their role in this goal.”

My journey began on August 3rd, 2021. I was doing what I loved—coaching high school football—when I suffered a deep brain hemorrhage on the practice field. An ambulance took me to Jefferson Medical Center in Charles Town, WV. I was then transferred to a helicopter and flown to Fairfax Inova Hospital, where I was in the ICU for approximately three weeks. My diagnosis was hemiplegia (paralysis/weakness on the left side).

Eventually, I was transferred to long-term rehab, where I was told by a physician that after two years, I should “just accept what it is,” as there would be no real hope of improvement after that. From there, I was sent home with no follow-up therapy and no safe egress route from the house. I was filled with despair and had little hope, but then my physical therapist at the Martinsburg VA, Adrian, began to sing praises of The Arc of Loudoun. I was given contact information that included that of his mentor, Helen Parker, clinical director at Ability Fitness Center, in order to arrange a visit—which was quickly accomplished. During that first visit to Ability Fitness, I experienced an immediate rush of hope. The energy was palpable, the equipment was fascinating, and state of the art. Then I walked with no safety harness on May 24, 2024, at Ability Fitness Center. Progress continued after that and continues today, and I honestly don’t see a plateau in my future.