City: Albuquerque

Brain Injury: Right before my 4^th birthday party, I fell and landed head first on the edge of a rock step. At age 30 I developed an illness that caused inflammation of the blood vessels in my brain, restricting the oxygen-bearing blood flow.

Explanation of Mask: My first brain injury was on my fourth birthday.  My learning problems made me feel like a square peg in a round hole.  In high school, I found that I was good at digital electronics as used in computers.  From age 19-22 years, I worked for a prestigious pipe organ company.  At age 22, I got married and joined the Air Force and repaired computers at NORAD inside the mountain in Colorado.  At 40, I was successful in the computer field, until illness “smoked” my brain.  At age 53, I rode my bike 850 miles to reconcile with my daughter.  She called the police on me when I arrived.  Once very close, my family portrait now includes my ex-wife, my ex-son, and my ex-daughter.  At 53, I met Sherry May.  We have different brain injuries and help each other.  We have become one, and I never knew that life could be so wonderful.  At 60 years young, I am still that square peg in a round hole, but I am polished now and comfortable where I am at.