For this Couple, Valentine’s Day is All about Gratitude

This Valentine’s Day will be a time of gratitude and reflection for former CNS patient Justin Glick and his fiancée Caroline. Justin sought treatment at the CNS Los Angeles clinic and returned home last May. He has spent his career in a highly specialized profession – the collecting and selling of rare coins, jewelry, and watches. He’s a numismatist, a unique job that demands intricate calculation and finance skills. But after sustaining a traumatic brain injury at work, those skills were suddenly impacted by an accident that upended his life.

Love, Patience and Compassion Conquer Fear

Such an event can devastate a relationship. Fear of the future can send shockwaves through both partners. Fortunately for Justin and Caroline, the accident and recovery were survivable. Love, patience, compassion, and support from CNS staff helped them weather a difficult storm.

In a remarkable turnaround that involved just 47 days at CNS Los Angeles, Justin is now working full time without modifications, driving independently, and working out at the gym to maintain improvements. He’s also planning his wedding this year with Caroline. “I’m fortunate,” Justin says. “I hit a home run meeting her.”

As the two of them discovered, a TBI can reveal aspects of both people that were unknown before the injury. Caroline was amazed by Justin’s drive to recover. “She told me she’d met many successful people but never saw them put up the fight I did,” Justin noted. That drive is crucial in a healthy relationship post-injury, he added. “Most people aren’t willing to accept this level of change. They get scared and run.” But not Caroline. “I saw things in her I hadn’t seen before and that was my motivation for proposing.”

Case in point: Caroline drove from Los Angeles to Denver with their dog and Justin’s brother to help Justin transition from Craig Hospital to CNS. “This is as solid as it gets,” Justin observed.

‘I’m in Awe of Him’

For Caroline, it was tough to watch her fiancé struggle at times. “He once looked at me and didn’t know who I was, but I had to believe it was going to be okay,” she said. “Now I tell people that the injury and rehabilitation was a gift. It’s rare that we can look back and see how much we loved those in our lives. I’m so grateful he’s here.”

CNS, they both emphasized, was instrumental in its support of their journey. “From the physician to the counselors, they were awesome,” Caroline said. Even the receptionist was a blessing, with her cheery “good morning Caroline” personal greeting. “They get it,” she said. “Staff would hug me in the hallway, and everyone said Hi to me. You don’t feel alone, and you become able to fight.”

And her feelings about Justin today? As you might expect, it’s the best of all Valentine’s sentiments. “I’m in awe of him,” Caroline says. “There’s no one I respect more.”