When the Lights Go Out: A Boy Given a Second Chance

In October 2003, I became a victim of traumatic brain injury. That's when I was hit and dragged by a pickup truck while riding a Big Wheel trike at a friend's party. Emergency brain surgery saved my life, but I lost a portion of the back part of my brain. At the age of ten, I had to learn how to breathe, swallow, talk, eat, stand, sit, walk-everything- all over again.

Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of disability among children, yet, because of the complexity of the brain, experts still have much to learn about how to treat TBI. In When the Lights Go Out, I describe my therapies-what's worked, what hasn't, and why-and share how I learned to cope with the emotional and psychological challenges. In the process, I have discovered the critical roles that faith in God, love of family, the healing power of friends, and the inherent goodness of people all played in my ability to triumph over overwhelming odds. I have also learned that a horrific accident has given me an amazing gift. When the Lights Go Out is an expression of that gift.

Ryan Boyle was just nine years old when an accident robbed him of a portion of his brain. In When the Lights Go Out, Boyle uses the successes and frustrations of his ongoing recovery to inspire others to never give up. Now eighteen, Ryan is a Paralympic athlete, inspirational speaker, and college student. Meet him on Facebook and at www.ryanboyle.me.