“As a mother I love my son and it is the most devastating thing I've went through in my whole life,” says Debra Allen, mother of Brian Hamby.

It is every Mother's worst nightmare, the call that your son has been in a terrible car accident. Debra Allen received this call about her son, Brian, age 28. His life was hanging in the balance.

"Well, on June 6, of 2006 he was in an automobile accident and he was ejected from the vehicle, “says Debra

Brian was transported by Lifeforce to Erlanger Hospital, his injuries ranged from a broken collar bone to multiple fractures of his back but the worst was a traumatic brain injury...Brian's future was extremely uncertain.

"He was in the trauma unit for 14 days. The doctors couldn’t tell us what the outcome was going to be. We didn’t know if he was going to live or not,” says Debra.

After three weeks the family was told to start looking for a nursing home. Brian was not progressing. In fact, his mom says that he was in a comatose coma.

“In a comatose coma you look awake, your eyes are open and you look around. He may look at you but when you walk away. He might still be glancing in your direction, but he wouldn’t speak or acknowledge that you were in the room."

Brian was transferred to a rehab center in Chattanooga. The early days of Brian's treatment were very difficult. Brian remained in the coma for five months, but Debra, Brian’s mom, describes a day of hope.

"One day out of the blue he started moving his feet on his own. He wasn’t holding his own weight but he was taking steps. We all started cheering and tears were falling"

This day started a series of promising events. Eventually Brian left the treatment facility and came home to Baxter, TN. He then began rigorous outpatient therapy at The Rehabilitation Center at Cookeville Regional. Gene White, Brian's physical therapist at Cookeville Regional, says he has come a long way.

“When Brian first came to us he was not able to stand, he was not able to sit up on the edge of the bed, and he would just fall backwards.” White says, “ We were trying to figure out the best way to help him.”

White says that with a traumatic brain injury everyone's recovery is different but the goal is the same.

"Get the person as independent as they can functionally be, that's your goal.”

Today Brian has had a remarkable recovery and he is walking and talking. He continues weekly therapy at The Rehabilitation Center at Cookeville Regional. Brian says that he is doing well and that he can tell that he is getting better.

Brian has had many supporters during his recovery including his team at The Rehab Center at Cookeville Regional but his Mom has been there every step of the way.

Debra says,” As long as it takes him, I'll be right there with him".