Just Like Any Kid His Age
At 10 years of age Cory loved everything about basketball. He loved to attend games, watch it on TV, but most of all he enjoyed playing basketball. This is exactly what he was doing on a sunny summer day on June 19, 2003, when he fell onto the family's driveway.
His accidental fall resulted in an acquired brain injury to the left and front temporal lobes. Cory was admitted to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital as a day patient from August of 2003 to January 2004. As a day patient of the neurological rehabilitation program, he attended the Bloorview School, received occupational therapy, speech language therapy and worked with a social worker to prepare him for re-entry into the community.
Cory continues to visit Holland Bloorview as an outpatient for regular follow-ups. At Holland Bloorview, Cory receives customized care, specially tailored to meet his unique healthcare needs and education, social and emotional requirements. With this comprehensive care, he is able to make tremendous strides in his continued recovery.
"Cory's life has significantly changed since the accident in 2003. As a mother, I fear and worry about the challenges and obstacles Cory will have to face in the future, but I find comfort in knowing that there is a place like Holland Bloorview to help guide Cory," says Cory’s mother Jennifer.
Today, Cory is 17 years old and continues to work with social workers and attends clinics at Holland Bloorview. He enjoys outdoor activities, playing video games, hanging out with his friends and picking on his older brother Jonathon.
“Cory’s disability is what they call “an invisible disability,” because there is no overt physical evidence of disability—he looks just like any other healthy teenage boy,” says Jennifer. “But he still faces cognitive challenges so he continues to work hard with therapy and hopes to go to college one day.”
As a Holland Bloorview Ambassador, Cory had the idea of organizing a winter fundraising event, as a way of giving back to Holland Bloorview for supporting him over the past seven years. He’ll be hosting the 2nd Annual Family Snow Day at Skyloft Ski Resort in Uxbridge, Ontario. It promises to be a fun-filled family day of skiing and snowboarding.
To learn more about Family Snow Day visit: www.familysnowday.com
