Lateef Brown and Todd Corthell both suffered a traumatic brain injury in their twenties, and both are still grappling with recovery, decades later. In this audio story from our series, Just Ask: Talking About Disability, Lateef and Todd share their personal recovery journeys, and talk about how their lives have changed since their injuries.
Highlights from this interview include:
Lateef Brown: "They told me that I was going to be in a coma for the rest of my life. And if I came out of my coma, I was going to be wheelchair-bound, not able to walk, talk, read or write or anything again. I had to learn how to walk, talk, read, write. It was like I was a newborn child all over again. I had to learn how to tie my shoes, put on my clothes, everything. When I got into my accident, I went through a bout of depression."
Todd Corthell: "I hope I get rid of this limp I’ve got. I’ve been working on my physical exercises all the time at the gym. I usually go about every day. It’s slowly working."
Lateef Brown: "I look at where I was and how far I’ve come, and I want to be an inspiration to other people with disabilities."
Just Ask: Talking About Disability was produced by WYSO Morning Edition Host/Reporter April Laissle and Community Voices Producer Anna Lurie, with additional stories from WYSO Managing Editor Jess Mador and All Things Considered Host/Reporter Jerry Kenney. The series was edited for broadcast by Jess Mador and WYSO General Manager Neenah Ellis, and for the web by Webmaster Juliet Fromholt and Jess Mador. Series participants included Todd Corthell, Lateef Brown, Michaela Feeser, Darrell Dean, Sue Reese, Heather Reese, Robert Sabwami, Susan Koller, and Tom Webb.