B.J. Smith was dead when he was brought into the Memorial Hermann Emergency Room 20 years ago. Last week, he returned to thank those who helped save his life.
HOUSTON — Twenty years ago, a Houston teen nearly died in an ATV crash.
B.J. Smith was 15 when he was brought into the Memorial Hermann Emergency Room with a catastrophic brain injury.
He was dead on arrival, and Smith was given a 10% chance of surviving.
But after four brain surgeries, a stroke, and three weeks in a coma, he beat the odds.
Smith had to relearn how to walk, talk, feed, and dress himself. He even lost 65% of his vision.
“It’s been a journey. I’m not going to lie. It’s been rough,” Smith said.
Last week, though, he walked back into the hospital to thank the staff members who helped save his life.
He’s embraced his second chance at life and knows to never take another moment for granted.
“I, as a brain injury survivor, have embraced it and pushed forward,” he said. “Treat every moment as if it’s your last moment.”
Now, he’s an inspiration to other brain injury survivors. He started a nonprofit with his mother to help inspire others.
Art has played a critical role in his recovery, and he shared his work with the Memorial Hermann Neuro ICE and TIRR Memorial Hermann rehabilitation teams.
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury every 9 seconds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1.7 million persons sustain a traumatic brain injury annually.
Here is a video from the reunion between Smith and the doctors who helped save his life: