Cycling Accident Changes Life

Stephen, 62, once held a successful career in commercial real estate with Marsh Supermarkets. He enjoyed travel, history, architecture, anything in the Country French style, and music.

All that changed in September 2007 while riding a bicycle through a golf course at dusk. A construction crew had cut a gaping hole across the path, and when Stephen hit it without warning, he flew headfirst over the handlebars, broke his neck, and suffered traumatic brain injury.

“Normal” for Stephen now means living with quadriplegia, traumatic brain injury (which affects his short term memory), ulcers, depression, partial blindness, auditory loss, urinary tract infections and loss of taste and smell. He is dependent on others for all activities of daily living including feeding, bathing, toileting, dressing, grooming, and transferring from one location to another.

After his accident, Stephen started calling social service agencies looking for help. That’s when he found CICOA. Today, he receives home-delivered meals seven days a week to provide nourishment. He has a respite home health aide to assist with his personal needs, and wears a personal emergency response system around his neck. He also gets transportation services from Hancock Area Regional Transport.