The doctors thought Ryan Boyle would die after he was struck by a truck a decade ago at age 9. His best outcome, they said, was life in hospital bed, living with the help of machines.
But it didn’t work out that way for the Connecticut boy – not even close. Boyle, now 19, bucked some serious odds to recover from a traumatic brain injury with far more success than anyone had predicted. He is now an author, a college student and an aspiring motivational speaker.
He has quite the motivational story to tell.
A Fateful Day
A decade ago, Boyle was riding in a friend’s driveway on a Big Wheel. The Big Wheel careened into the road and was struck by a Dodge Dakota pickup truck. Boyle was dragged under a wheel of the vehicle. A responding medic told the Connecticut Post that Boyle “didn’t look good” when help arrived.
“I didn’t think he was going to make it,” Mary Lee Woitowitz, an EMT, told the Post.
But he did, even if the road was long. Immediate brain surgery was necessary, and a portion of his brain was removed. He endured a lengthy coma and spent time at four hospitals. Boyle’s family credits their local faith community in part with aiding the boy’s recovery. He had to learn to walk, talk, breathe and more all over again.
Boyle has chronicled this successful struggle in “When the Lights Go Out,” a book he wrote about the ordeal.
Bright Future
Boyle is now attending Berry College in Georgia for communications. He told the Post he intends to be a motivational speaker. He’s already gotten practice offering words of support and encouragement to youths in his native Connecticut.
The Post article recounted a recent event before 300 high school students, where a student with cerebral palsy called Boyle his inspiration. Boyle also attracts people to book signings. At a recent one, his parents introduced him to Woitowitz, the medic he credits with saving his life.
Boyle offered these words of encouragement for those facing brain injuries:
“Don’t accept doctors telling you what you’re never going to do again. I’m doing everything they said I wouldn’t.”
About Us
The Brain Injury Law Center is a law firm devoted to representing people and families battling serious brain injuries. We share this encouraging story with you help us all keep in mind that, even in the worst times, positive outcomes can be reached.
Contact us today if you or a loved one has suffered a serious brain injury caused by another person or company.
