Regaining the capacity to drive after TBI with Brady Holt

Former Division I football player Brady Holt suffered a massive traumatic brain injury as a college freshman when he was ejected from the front window of his car going 75 mph on the freeway. He was initially not expected to live. After surviving, he was not expected to walk or function on his own. He beat all the odds and is now working, married and supporting his wife and daughter and once again able to drive. His story shows that with persistence, vision therapy can help restore visual abilities and independence.

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Transcript

Denise: This is the Healing Our Sight podcast where we discuss vision issues and healing strategies from the patient perspective. The goal of this podcast is to create an awareness of the diverse types of vision issues people experience, to highlight the types of help available, and to open a dialogue between patients to show we're not alone in our vision struggles. As a patient who gained 3D vision at age 54 through vision therapy combined with strabismus surgery, I feel uniquely qualified to offer a hopeful, balanced perspective on the possibilities. Please use the link in the show notes to send me a message and thanks for joining me today.

Denise: Welcome to the Healing Our Sight podcast. I'm your host, Denise Allen, and today my guest is Brady Holt. He is someone that I found through my doctor. I went in for my checkup last month And I said, Dr. Davies, who's a great success story that I can highlight on my podcast. And he said, oh, you should talk to Brady Holt. He loves sharing his story. And I said, awesome. And so, I found Brady. I found out that he works around the corner from where I live. And so, we met the other day. Brady was a victim of a horrific car accident in 2016. March 14, 2016. He was a freshman playing football at Utah State University and was involved in a terrible car accident where he was ejected from the front window going 75 miles an hour, traveling on an i15 and wasn't supposed to survive. He was given a 15% chance to live. He broke his back in six places, was in a coma for three months and wasn't expected to live then. He wasn't expected to be able to live on his own, and he's defied all of the odds. It's now been nine years and we're going to talk about all that progress and how he ended up in vision therapy and what the result was of that. So welcome, Brady.

Brady: Thanks, Denise. Thank you.

Denise: Yeah, I'm happy to have you on today. Tell us a little bit about that whole experience at the very beginning. What was going on with you?

Brady: So, I was a freshman at the Utah State playing football as a walk on. And out of 300 kids that shut up, Coach Wells only kept three of us. And so, I had the blessing of playing Division one football, which is astronomical. How hard it is and having the dream and having the goal. Playing college football was always my dream, minus the fact that I'm six' seven. And so that's the one thing that the coaches love, is they could pack on the weight and I'd be a freaking animal. So, I got done with the spring semester. And I got called into coach Lowell's office, and he goes, bring your playbook in. And I'm like, oh, no, he's cutting me. I've had a crappy spring ball. I'm like, it's been bad. So we go into the office, two hours later, he goes, brady, you brought your playbook, right? I'm like, yeah, coach, here it is. And so, I handed him over my playbook, the defensive playbook. And he goes, here, Brady, here's the offensive playbook. I'm like, what? What is this? He goes, Brady, you're going to be one of our starting tight ends. No way. That's crazy. And he goes, yeah, all the other coaching staff knew that you played tight end in high school. And you're. You're big and you just. You're an animal on defense. You're probably really good on offense. And then I was actually going back up there to move out of my apartment and just in the housing just so I could get some summer classes done and then keep in touch with the football team. And I was driving up to Logan to move out of my house to live in the student housing. And I told my mom that morning, my mom, I'll text you when I get there. I'll call you when I get there, just to be safe. Because me being your oldest child, I had the responsibilities of being a good role model for my siblings. And that was one thing that I drive myself on being. And so, I was ejected from my cargo in 75 by Willard Bay. And my mom got a phone call. And she picks up the phone, she's like, hey, bud, what's up, Vince? Hey, ma', am. This is officer so and so your son Brady was just in a terrific car accident, and you should probably get here now. We don't know if he's going to live or not. And so, my mom and dad drove up to Willard Bay by Brigham City. And they got there and they ended up going to Ogden Regional. That's where I was transported to some Willard Bay to Arden Regional. And that's where they lived for the next three months. And then I got sent down to Country Life Care center, which is on Bangerter and Redwood Road, the conjunction of Redwood and Bangerter. And they have a care center right there. And it's like, okay, it's closer to home. And then mom and dad said, if he's gonna pass, we want him closer to family. So, they all come say goodbye. And what turned out to be a month to two months Ended up three months in the care center. I was fighting the urge to. I couldn't walk. And so, I was just arguing with everybody, arguing with all the people that wanted to help me. And I was just, like, so frustrated. And then one thing led to another, and I got discharged back to IMC Murray for a month of just nonstop therapy, which was intense. It was so hard. And then I got this wrist the day before Thanksgiving in 2016. And I was doing all that I could do to try and help my family and stuff. Even though I couldn't do a lot of things, I was just driven to help them help my family from what they. What they had to go through the past year. And so, the winter rolls around and then the spring rolls around, and I'm like, I can start helping out, doing stuff around the house. And I was hobbling around the house, and I got comfortable enough that I was starting to mow the lawn, and I was out walked along one Saturday, and I was like, mom, Mom, I can't see. I cannot see things straight. And my mom was like, brady, stop. Stop right now. We'll get your brother to finish this. I'm like, whatever, that's. I was like, I seriously can't. I cannot see ****. My mom, in a roundabout way, found out the Utah Vision Therapy center. And I started going there once, twice a week for like a year and a half. And then I got to know everyone there so well, like, yeah.

Denise: So, what did the therapy look like initially when you went in for vision therapy?

Brady: Okay. It was so frustrating because it's like, I'm understanding. I know what I. What I can do, but I can't physically do it. I was so frustrated with it all, but, like, I couldn't see things the way that most people see things. And I was like, this is garbage. I cannot stand this. This is terrible. And then. Yeah.

Denise: So, the symptoms that you had were from the traumatic brain injury from the car accident? Right.

Brady: I broke my back in six places. And so, do you ever think of, like, shaken baby syndrome? But I'm not a baby. I'm a pretty big baby. He has shaken baby syndrome. So, it's basically the same thing. I have a frontal cortex injury. So, my friend, there's the rod to connect the brain to hold it in person. It's all. But going through the car accident is all shaken up. And so, y' all had to reconnect and try to reconnect it all, which is. Which was crazy. Like, I didn't think that that would happen, but it happened.

Denise: Yeah.

Brady: It took so long to finally get to happen, but it is what it is.

Denise: So, the symptoms included not just the fact that you couldn't. You figured out you couldn't see straight because you were mowing the lawn. And I'm assuming you weren't able to do it in a straight line the way you expected to. Is that what was going on?

Brady: Yeah. Yeah. I'm just like. I was in the point where I could just play with them all over my little brother. Lethal hawks. And I could leave it. Leave it for his excuse from him that he did it. I could get away with it. But. Yeah.

Denise: Okay. And then also, you said you had headaches and some other symptoms Initially, yeah.

Brady: And I remember starting to go to vision therapy, and I was just like, I don't know why. Why my head's hurting. But then it's like, it got to a point where I was like. I was having all these. I don't want to say problems, but a lot of these shortcomings that nobody would have ever thought that the young man would have to go through, but I had to go through it all.

Denise: Mm. And so, at vision therapy, they had you going through the regular exercises at therapy and then assuming they gave you some things to do at home as well.

Brady: That was that job I never do at home because I'm. I'm just too stubborn and too arrogant to them. Let them give me ideas of how to improve me. Like, no, I. I'm okay. I'm good enough doing what I do now. I'm okay.

Denise: Okay. So, you really doing the therapy at home?

Brady: Yeah. Too stubborn and too arrogant, too.

Denise: Okay, so do you think you're.

Brady: No. Yeah, exactly. I wasn't doing the therapy at home, but.

Denise: So, you. You weren't really doing any of the exercises at home, but you were going a couple of times a week initially, and then once a week after that?

Brady: Yeah.

Denise: Okay.

Brady: Yep. Once a week, and then once every couple weeks. And then. Yeah.

Denise: And then you just gradually started going less often and tell us a little bit about what your goal was through vision therapy.

Brady: So, my one goal is to have us be able to drive again, to drive a car, because I can. I was independent enough, but I couldn't get places. I couldn't go where I wanted to go. And so that was my major goal was to drive a car again. And I was like. Once I got to that point, I remember texting Jen, one of the therapists in vision therapy. I sent a picture of my graduating snoz went on the Road test that's texted. And the lady goes, okay, you can start driving now. I'm like, what the heck? That's crazy. That is crazy. And so, I had about a year between I got cleared to drive at night, and then. Yeah. And I was like, I could only go, like, 45, and I couldn't go any faster or any slower drive at night. So, I was like, this is terrible. This is so boring. Right? Yeah. And so, I waited about a year to go back, and I went back, and the lady was like, the pt. She was like, Brady, so what brings you into this? It's been about a year. I'm like, yeah, it's been a year. And I've been driving around in field, so why are you back? And I was like, I want to get a good job on the freeway. She's like, all right, Brady, let's go. Like, what the. Really? What do you mean, let's go? She goes, let's go to the garage and get my car and we'll go. We're gonna go drive on the freeway. What are you crazy? But I. I drove around downtown Salt Lake, which is a nightmare, let alone myself, learning to drive again. Now what? I would not recommend it, but feels okay, Brady. Good. You're. You're clear. You're good to drive on the road. I mean, voluntary lands. Have a. So you tell me, I can do this. I can do this. Yeah, you're okay. You passed out. Like, you passed all the. All the tests that we have for this. I'm like, that's crazy. That's insane. Yeah, it's just crazy. Like, I never thought that I would get to that point, but here I am, and that was three and a half, almost four years ago.

Denise: Okay, so it took a few years after the accident in order for you to get to that point, and a couple. Was it two or three years of vision therapy?

Brady: Yeah. Yep.

Denise: Okay. Awesome. So, what would you like to share with people who are going through this kind of a brain injury rehabilitation process?

Brady: One thing I just want to say to people is even though it's hard, even though it sucks, you're gonna have to just buckle down and get it done. Because even though it's uncomfortable, that's how your body adapts to the circumstances, how your body adapts to change and learn to grow that type. That's the one thing that I realize. It's hard to realize, that even though it's hard and it stuck, you can't see yourself getting better. But look at. Down the road. You look back and Be like, holy cow. That's how I was. That's what happened to me. I. Holy cow. I can't believe that. And so, like, I. I actually got to a point where I was, like. I said I was. I was going to therapy up to the year. The Mayo, the tosh over in Murray. And I was like, in a wheelchair. And I'm like, I. I don't belong here. This is terrible. I shouldn't be here. I should just die. I should have died when my car accident happened. I should have just given up. Like, I just want to take my own life. And this is not to laugh. I want to live in. This sucks. And each therapist I was working with, she's like, talk to my students. I have to learn real quick. What the heck. Okay, whatever. So, I was telling my story. This student getting their graduate program. I'm like, this is terrible. I don't want to be here. I should just die. I should kill myself and die. And then five or so minutes later, the therapist walks in, and she goes, brady, come sit my office. What the heck? This is terrible. And so, I remember wheeling on in there in my wheelchair, wheeling on. And then I was just like, I don't want to be here. I don't want to live anymore. I just want to die. I literally just want to die. And about a year and a half, two years later, I went there. It was like a Thursday or Thursday or Wednesday, whatever day of the week it was. And I remember my mom worked at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon. She worked there. So, she dropped me off there, and then my grandpa would come pick me up because I couldn't drive at that time. And I just remember getting down there, and I walked in there. I'm walking, and she goes, Brady, do you realize what happened? What just happened? I'm like, I'm here. What? I'm here. She goes, and remember when you first got here? I'm like, yeah, I was in a wheelchair. That's. She goes, where's your wheelchair at? I'm like, nowhere to be found. I don't need no wheelchair. I'm not. I'm not that handicapped. She goes, and, Brady, remember, you wanted to take your life. I'm like, yeah, that was an old beast. I just have to thank God every day now. It's like this. God has given me another reason, another chance to get through this thing. And so, it's like, even though it sucks and even though it's hard, you just have to thank God for the challenges and the hardships to get through these things. And then I have a very firm belief that when the day comes, when we meet a maker, like, God's going to go, how was your life? Say, it was hard, but I become a better person because of it. So, thank you for putting me through this.

Denise: And your life is much different than you thought it was going to be when you were going to go back and continue to play Division 1 football.

Brady: Yeah.

Denise: But clearly, you're not that same guy.

Brady: Exactly. Yeah. Like, I jokingly say that my wife and I met online. Online dating. And so, I was like, my profile was. I almost died once asking, but I'll tell you about it. So that opened so many doors, would be like, so how'd you miss this time? Like, I literally almost thought I was just Perfect. Car going 75 on the freeway, and they go, education. It is what it is. It is. It is what it is.

Denise: Yeah.

Brady: Tis but a scratch. But yeah. And then my wife, we met online, and then we went on a date. And I was like, but it's almost dying. I don't get scared of anything. So, I have this grand idea. We're gonna go to dinner, go to a scary movie, and then he's gonna be also scared. I'm gonna. I'll protect her. I'll protect her. And then. Yeah. And so, we left, like, 15 minutes left of the movie. I'm like, I'm like, I'm feeling this bull ****. This is such a bad movie. Sorry for bringing you here. It was fun, I guess. No, it was terrible. It was just such a bad movie. And then I was like, I'm sorry. And I'm, I. Hopefully you find a better man out there, because I've had all these hard things and all these troubles and, like, I just don't, I don't think this is right for me, you and I. And she goes, oh, I don't think so. And then I was like, I'm gonna delete your number. And then two days later, I get a text from this number to like, hey, Brady, how you doing? I was like, I said, new phone. Who this? And she goes, Katie. I'm like, Katie, stop. Like, right? I sent them, like, the girl I just went on a date with. Holy cow. She wanted one. A second date. Yeah. And it's like, you just have, you can't give up. And then with everything, like, all the shortcomings and all the hard things that go on, you just have to get up and just keep moving forward. Just keep moving forward because you'll never know what your meaning in life is until you actually get to that point. But you just have to just keep on. Keep going forward inch by inch.

Denise: Yeah. So how long have you been married now?

Brady: So, in a couple weeks, they'll be married for five years.

Denise: Okay, so when you got married, that was a little bit before you started driving.

Brady: Yeah, it was like we were married for, like, two and a half years. Two, maybe a year and a half years. And then I was like, I need to start driving. I need to start driving. And so, my mom ended up buying. She bought a car, and then her car that she had before was her mom car. And we jokingly said that my mom said, Katie, you need a mom car. You need a car for your. For whenever it gets here. You have family. You need a car to carry around your kids. And I was like, what are you saying, girl? What are you saying, Grandma? What are you trying to say, Mom? You want grandkids? What you're saying? But yeah. And so, we have. We have just the one right now. And it's like, you don't really know the love. The love that God has. You know, you have your own family, your own kids. It's like, I would do anything to protect my daughter. I would do anything. Yeah, I would. Yeah.

Denise: Awesome. Well, I think your story is so inspiring, and I hope that those who listen to this podcast kind of get a little bit of a vision for what's possible. What's possible when you are persistent and you have a firm goal, which for you was being able to drive and have that independence that you had been lacking for so long after your injury. That's awesome.

Brady: Yeah.

Denise: Did you want to give any last words of wisdom before we wrap this up today?

Brady: I'm just gonna say, Denise, like, God, it's hard and life sucks, but you just have to keep moving forward inch by inch, day by day, till we're finished. Because you never realized that, like, and the time you think it'll be the hardest thing you're going through, but once you look back, like, five years, you look back like, what the heck? Why did I think that was hard? That was easy compared to what I've had to go through now. But you just. You never realize. You never. Yeah, it's like, that's the one, people that I'm very, very firm believers, like, you'll be able to learn and grow from your hardships, and that's the way that we've become better, by learning from our hardships and learning from our trials that we're going to be able to learn and grow that we just have to keep on. As Matt McConaughey says, just keep on keeping on.

Denise: Awesome. Thank you so much.

Brady: No problem. Thank you. Denise.

Denise: Thank you for listening to the Healing Our Site podcast. I'd love to hear from you. Please share and also join our Facebook community at Healing Our Site to leave suggestions or comments. Have a great day.