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Jeffrey Fraus
JEFFREY FRAUS GETS A SECOND CHANCE
All Jeffrey Fraus ever wanted to do was ride. It started with motorcross when he was 10 years old. He raced on tracks across the state and took more than his share of first place finishes. When he turned 20, he traded his dirt bike for a bigger bike with plenty of power.
“I just liked the thrill of it. I was more comfortable on a bike than in a car.”
He was popping wheelies in a parking lot with a buddy. It was dark and he never saw the industrial metal gate. Jeffrey was rushed to the hospital with broken bones and a traumatic brain injury.
Doctors told his mom Tammy that it was likely he would never wake up.
“They said the damage to his brain was everywhere. They put him on life support and called “Gift of Life” to discuss organ donation.”
But a week later, Jeffrey was starting to breath on his own for a few hours each day. He was transferred to Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan where therapists began the long process of recovery.
“My therapists were terrific. I didn’t want to do anything but they pushed me.”
A week after arriving at RIM, Jeffrey was out of the wheelchair, learning to walk again, and working to regain his strength, balance and coordination. In a short time he was able to wash and dress himself, and before he left, he was doing push-ups.
He started driving again…cars now…mom says the bikes are off limits, and he’s thinking about returning to Macomb Community College.
He’s also been speaking to groups of high school students, helping to educate them about brain injury.
“I didn’t think anything could happen to me. I learned not to take things for granted. I learned I’m not invincible.”
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