City: Indianapolis

Brain Injury: In 2011 I fell off a long skateboard crushing my skull.  After several major surgeries, a 10-day coma, and a month in the hospital I was discharged to rehabilitation.  I then returned to college to finish my 5 years and earn my degree.

Explanation of Mask: My mask reflects two distinct states of being.  During my hospitalization, luckily either immediately after the injury or during the major surgery I passed into my afterlife.  This gave me a brief vision of what is to come and completely changed my perspective on life.  Time is different, religion changed from belief to knowledge, and everything is beautiful.  Prior to my accident, I was an extremely shy, perfectionist, type A, focus person, with only one track for my life – to become and airline pilot.  After the accident, I still finished my final year at Purdue University, but the original plan is no longer a possibility due to the fact that I have experienced seizures as a result of the accident.  Now, it is my job to find new paths for my life, and so far since the accident I have held five different jobs.  I have also applied for countless others, but  unfortunately, it has become clear that companies tend to discriminate that answer “yes” or “I do not wish to disclose” to the disability question on the application.  Also, a few, if any filters left in my head control my voice, so I sometimes struggle when speaking with others.  The background colors of my mask are intended to show that prior to my injury I was unsure of myself, occasionally committed questionable acts, but now I feel clean and know I have an eternal life.  Due to the combination of the injury, near death experience, and numerous medications, I have a far different personality and view of the world now than I did prior to 2011.