In this video, Hannah Strom shares her journey from surviving a traumatic brain injury to helping others recover as a rehab aide.
Hannah reflects on how far she has come—from months in inpatient rehabilitation to working full days alongside the therapists who once helped her heal. She describes how her lived experience allows her to connect with patients, validate their frustrations, and motivate them to stay engaged in therapy.
Her story offers a powerful message of hope, resilience, and purpose, showing how recovery after a disorder of consciousness can lead not only to independence, but to helping others reclaim their lives as well.
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Life After a Disorder of Consciousness: Helping Others Recover With Hannah Strom
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Hannah Strom
College Student, Rehab Aide, Runner, Rower
Sustained a Traumatic Brian Injury in January 2020
So I actually did just get a job as a rehab aide at Spaulding in Plymouth, and that has been great so far. And I'm just so grateful that I can even get a job because from where I was, I can't believe I've come so far to be at this point where I can work a full day.
Now I’m a rehab aide, and it does bring me joy. I've been the rehab aide for the past four summers at Spaulding where I myself did therapy. And it's weird to just be in the therapy gym on the third floor and see some of the therapists who were helping me in my rehabilitation. It's just like thanks to them, I can now help patients get back to their old life. And I do remember specifically there was this one patient, and he was only in here in Spaulding for two weeks and they were extending his stay by a week. And he was so mad about it, and he was complaining. And he's like, I just want to go home. And he's like, that's it. I'm not doing physical therapy. I validated his feelings and I was like, I know how it feels to want to go home. Trust me. I get it.
But I told him, I was, I was here for almost five months. They were also extending my stay when I was here because my physical therapist saw progress in me, and she wanted to keep me for another week. I even remember my mom telling me, they would ask her, they would be like, Gail, we see progress in Hannah. Do you mind staying another week? And my mom wanted to get home of course, but she wanted to get me back. So it was no question. She was like, sure, if you're seeing progress, keep her here.
And I was like, I'm very grateful that they extended my stay because now I'm here and I get to help you. Right after I said that, he got right out of bed; and he was like, you know what Hannah? He goes, that made me feel so much better. And he was like, I am being a big baby. He's like, I'm crying over an extra week when I've only been in here for two weeks. That's it, let's do physical therapy. So he got right out of bed; and it just made me feel so great that I could make somebody feel that way, do therapy themselves and try to get their life back. So that just made me smile.
Produced by the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC), this story is part of the Recovering from Disorders of Consciousness Hot Topic Module. The content of this video is based on research and/or professional consensus. This content has been reviewed and approved by experts from the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (TBIMS) centers, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, as well as experts from the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (PRCs), with funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The content of the video has also been reviewed by individuals with TBI and/or their family members.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional. You should consult your health care provider about specific medical concerns or treatment. The contents of this video were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DPKT0009). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this video do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Copyright © 2026 Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC). May be reproduced and distributed freely with appropriate attribution. Prior permission must be obtained for inclusion in fee-based materials.
About the author: Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC)
The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) is a national center operated by the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) The MSKTC collaborates with Model System researchers to translate health information into easy to understand language and formats for people living with spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and burn injury and those who support them.
