Ashley and Eric Renegar

On Friday, April 30th, 2021, Ashley Renegar and her family received devastating news. Her best friend and husband, Eric, was involved in a devastating road bike accident while on his way home from work during an 11-mile trip while on the Cady Way Trail. While crossing through a highly populated area in a cross walk, a car hit Eric, who thankfully was wearing his helmet. Eric’s injuries include bilateral frontal lobe contusions, blood clots on the front and left side of his head, broken orbital bones, a broken nose, and a broken inner ear which caused facial paralysis. After several days of uncertainty, and against the odds, the medical team was able to stabilize Eric, though he remained in critical condition and with life altering injuries.
On May 12th, Eric woke up. He was able to answer questions by nodding his head and track moving objects with his eyes. Eric was then able to transition to the Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehab Unit on Tuesday, May 25th. Eric remained on this unit until July 2, 2021, for intensive multi-modal therapy, before being discharged home. We are so grateful that Eric is out of the woods, but his journey to recovery has only begun.
Eric, Ashley, their daughter, their family and friends set about adjusting to this TBI-life. In January 2022, Eric returned to work, but often it can take 8 hours to do 2 hours of work. He continues to attend many outpatient appointments to support his progress including acupuncture, cranial sacral and bodywork, primary care, mental health, physiatry, energy work, and other appointments as they arise. Most recently Eric found his way back to his first love—men’s softball! He has been able to bat and catch every Sunday with his team and is finding that each week his coordination improves!
As we approach the 1-year anniversary, Eric, Ashley, and Lulu still reside in Orlando, FL and continue to express gratitude for the love and support we have received from friends, family, and strangers from all over the globe. We are thankful that Eric and Lulu continue to thrive in their relationship and have hope that Eric will continue this complex recovery process. Though, we are still a little wary of riding bikes.
We hope our story provides some hope and support to other TBI survivors and caregivers out there, you are not alone in your suffering.

Any direct questions can be directed to: ashleymrenegar@gmail.com