Barnabas is a young man originally from Sumba, an island southeast of Bali and sought higher education at a college in Java (the island east of Bali). He was 25 years old when he moved to Bali in September 2016 to find a job to save money to finish college. However, shortly afterwards had a motorcycle accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury. One night as he was driving home from work on his motorcycle, he was hit by a drunk driver in a car. After the accident, Barnabas was in a coma for 3 weeks due to bleeding on his brain. He had multiple surgeries in the hospital before being sent home to be cared for by his older sister. When he was released from the hospital, he was unable to stand or walk.
In February 2017, Access Life Bali provided Barnabas a wheelchair and began to help him in his rehabilitation process by giving him exercises as well. Over the course of a year, he got stronger and was able to use the wheelchair to move within and out of the house.
By the end of 2017, Barnabas began learning how to walk with a walker, but still used the wheelchair due to decreased strength, endurance, and balance. With time, Barnabas progressed to using a walker to using a cane full time around the house and to leave the house.
Currently, Barnabas is able to walk without the use of a cane and is independent in most activities. Due to memory loss issues, Barnabas has been unable to return to college or full-time work. However, he is able to help his sister sell small snacks from their home. We are so proud of the progress Barnabas has made and his determination to continue to improve.
