Shango was an energetic and creative 22 year-old student studying illustration when he was involved in a motor vehicle crash. After the crash, he spent six months in an acute rehab, then was transferred to a long-term nursing facility. While he has made some progress in his therapies, he remains in a minimally conscious state, unable to walk, talk or care for himself.
Shango’s family reached out to BIANJ CARES seeking support and assistance for their beloved son. Among their many concerns, they felt that the facility was not familiar with how to care for young people with brain injury, and they did not have the necessary equipment to get him out of bed. BIANJ met with the family and organized an in-service to train the staff which resulted in more appropriate, understanding care.
Through the efforts of BIANJ CARES, Shango was finally able to leave his hospital room and go outside—and that day happened to be his 23rd birthday, where family and friends visited to celebrate. Though he had exhausted his insurance benefits for physical, occupational and speech therapies, BIANJ CARES was able to identify private funding for him to continue these services.
