Jenn's Story: Reclaiming Life After a Traumatic Brain Injury
For Jennifer Tompkins – life took an unexpected turn.
It was an icy afternoon when the police walked up to the Tompkins home. Their only daughter was in a severe car accident and was in the trauma unit. Jenn was just a month shy of her 22nd birthday and a recent college graduate with a bright future ahead – but the accident left her with a severe brain injury, unable to speak or walk, and fighting for her life.
Jenn and her family knew they needed the right support and treatments to help her overcome such devastating injuries. The recovery came slow, but steady.
Nine months after the accident, her journey began at Bancroft NeuroRehab. An integrated team of experts worked together to create an individualized plan of intensive physical, cognitive, occupational, speech, and psychological therapies that began Jenn’s rehabilitation. Her progress over the next three years – learning to talk, walk and socialize – came with great effort, and the continued support of her family the whole way.
Her goal: Returning to competitive employment
In 2017, less than five years after her accident, Jenn was welcomed back to Title Resource Group, the mortgage and insurance brokerage in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, where she worked before the crash. Too young and too determined to let her injury define her future, Jenn has reclaimed much of the life she had before her accident. Her recovery is proof that progress is possible after a traumatic brain injury. No matter how far the climb, the right support can mean all the difference.
Today, Jenn continues to attend therapies to increase her independence
Update May 2023, Jennifer continues to work with the occupational therapy team at Bancroft NeuroRehab to improve her quality of life following her accident. Through individual and group occupational therapy sessions, her ability to independently execute essential daily living activities is progressing. Her current goals include improving her meal preparation skills with increased independence while utilizing adaptive equipment. As returning to work is a fundamental goal for Jennifer, she volunteers once a week at the Bancroft Employee Center by assisting with data entry and has a paid position at Rothkoff Law Group in Cherry Hill, NJ. Her therapy team is consistently impressed by her high level of engagement and motivation to participate in her therapy sessions.
"I enjoy being back out in the community volunteering at Bancroft Employee Center. It helps me to try and figure out the best job I'm suited for. Volunteering also helps improve my independence."
