Brain injury survivor begins support group

William Jarvis wouldn’t let a car crash that interrupted his career as a professor in Indiana keep him down.

Having survived a traumatic brain injury that left him comatose with broken ribs, cracked vertebrae and a punctured lung, he returned to work at Taylor University Fort Wayne for three more years. He also joined a support group in Fort Wayne for traumatic brain injury survivors, then upon retirement in 2007, stepped up his role by co-leading the gatherings.

Since settling in Myrtle Beach, Jarvis has begun a brain and stroke injury support group for anyone who has coped with traumatic or acquired brain injuries. The “TBI/ABI Support Group” meets 6:30-8 p.m. on the second Thursday monthly through May, including this week on Oct. 8, at the Myrtle Beach Base Recreation Center, 800 Gabreski Lane , off Pampas Drive, near Horry-Georgetown Technical College Grand Strand Campus and The Market Common, in Room A.

Jarvis, a former grade-school teacher and principal, also has written three books, each with illustrations from his own oil paintings: “Snail to the Finish – Leaning on Faith: How to Get Through Adversity with Maximum Success,” “Improving Life – Harvesting the Fruit of the Spirit,” and “Finding Peace.” Framed prints of his art also are for sale at the gallery Breathe – Pieces of the Soul, 3065 Howard Avenue, Myrtle Beach, at The Market Common, with proceeds benefiting the support group.

Question | How widespread, and perhaps, not-understood-enough, are traumatic or acquired brain injuries, and what are the most common causes?

Answer | There are more than 3 million brain injuries a year in the United States. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is from a force such as a car collision, and acquired brain injury (ABI) is biologically acquired, such as through a stroke.

Q. | With your career as a professor brought to a halt in Indiana after a car collision, and your determined rebound to teach again after a 1 1/2 years of hospitalization, how did helping lead a support group there for seven years help you to learn in depth about the comeback each person strives to achieve?

A. | Co-leading a support group was of value to me by engaging in an activity that required skills to be improved and providing a purpose for living.

Q. | How did hearing about, and empathizing with, other people finding their way back in their own lives, help you continue your own path of productivity, for yourself and to make a difference for others?

A. | Hearing other stories of accomplishment reinforced my quest for improvement, and my experiences provided an understanding of the problems of other TBI survivors.

Q. | With your beginning this local group in Myrtle Beach for monthly meetings, what inspiration and hope do you want to share for all participants?

A. | The main goal of a TBI/ABI support group is to provide encouragement and hope to others. I have developed over the years a method for improvement in social, cognitive, physical, and psychological dimensions of life. The implementation of these strategies will maximize possible improvement.

Q. | Writing three books about this subject, and sharing your personal encounters at such places at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., how humbled are you at meeting fellow human beings who have coped with traumatic or acquired brain injuries, and stayed focused on such an ultimate comeback to renew their lives?

A. | Any improvement from a brain injury takes knowledge of how to proceed, but more importantly: perseverance, commitment and inner strength. Support is provided by group members that all may succeed in some way.

Q. | How does treatment of traumatic or acquired brain injuries raise extra awareness about helping the heroes and heroines who make up our wounded veterans?

A. | Experiencing a TBI gives a personal understanding of the challenges veterans face and a unique understanding of what they have been through in their rehabilitation.

Q. | For anyone hesitant about joining the local ABI/TBI support group in Myrtle Beach, just off the cuff, what will he or she bring home in reassurance?

A. | The main advantage to attending a local support group is having others who understand the challenges of everyday living. A brain injury, stroke or other illness challenging daily living can be helped by understanding strategies to create motivation to improve. You will come home with a plan for improvement and a basic understanding of how to implement the plan for healing.

This story was originally published October 5, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Brain injury survivor begins support group."