I’m a Survivor of traumatic brain injury. I’m going to have it for the rest of my life, and the easier I make it to live with, the easier it will be on me, and I want to live a long, happy life.
-Jason Sprague

 

Three weeks after accident, Jason is still in the ICU at Wake Forest Hospital in North Carolina (Contributed photo)

Jason’s memories melt as quickly as snowflakes on a tongue.
There are multiple poster-sized cues on the walls of his one-bedroom apartment, which serve as reminders of appointments and chores. The heater and stove are on a safety timer, the doors have been taken off the closets, and kitchen shelves to help with with locating everyday items.

Sprague, 26, is a LCC student who suffered a traumatic brain injury over five years ago when he crashed his Toyota into a telephone pole after a late night partying. Today, Sprague is studying design, and dreams of being an architect. The aftermath of his brain injury causes many challenges, but in some ways, he says the accident made him a better person.

“My personality has changed extremely. I don’t let myself get back into that smug attitude, thinking I was better than everyone else. I came out a lot better than I was…I like who I am now,” Jason said.

After high school he drove to N. Carolina, hoping for a fresh start. He began to frequent keg parties with friends from the university, and although his driver’s license was suspended from prior DUIs, he chose to drive. Alone and speeding, after a night with friends, his Toyota hit a dip, bounced, and slammed into a telephone pole. Besides suffering a traumatic brain injury, he also suffered from a fractured jaw, and a shattered left arm, which remains heavily scarred and weakened after multiple surgeries.

He was in a coma on his 21st birthday.

His brown eyes were open and staring, and he wore diapers under his clothes the day his family brought him home from the hospital, nine weeks after the accident. His father, Roger Sprague, by his side for the entire ICU and rehabilitation ordeal, now had a son who was unable to walk or talk. Needing round -the- clock care, including regular feedings and medications through a tube inserted into his abdomen, his stepmom, Jane Sprague, quit her job to meet his basic needs.

An example of Jason's artwork before his accident (Photo by Leah Averett).

His physical and mental capabilities remain dramatically different from the person he was prior to his accident. Yet, his stepmom, who he calls mom, was emphatic when she said there was “not one thing” she missed about that angry, but handsome young man, who had been a champion bowler, incredible artist, and stellar skateboarder.

“That accident actually gave me back my brother,” said his younger brother, Josh Sprague, 24 who is now a professional golfer.

“I took a separate road from him. Although he was always a social butterfly and could score with the girls, he had a dark side. He was angry, and always in trouble,” said Josh.

Jason Sprague’s biological mother left him when he was 3 years old, and this seemed to torture him throughout his young life. According to his father, Roger, he seemed to think the world owed him something, and would hold onto anger for weeks.

His family remembered that he was daring even as a 6 year old. They laugh now about him coming down the stairs, with a large burn on his Care Bear pajamas. He told them he was simply showing his brother how to “Stop, Drop, and Roll.”

 

Personality Plus

Sprague’s charismatic personality, love of the spotlight and unique way of dressing has not changed. One day he will wear a dapper pinstriped suit and fedora, and a camouflage jacket with patchwork pants and ball cap the next. Recently, his stepmom picked him up for the movies, and he was wearing a sombrero and plastic sunglasses that were a foot wide.

Jason and his father, Roger Sprague, five weeks after his accident (contributed photo)

He said, “I’m funny looking. I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, ‘Damn. Wait, that’s me,’ but I try to have a good humor about it.”

Josh said he is proud of his brother and how far he has come.

“I love my brother dearly, he said. He still has wit, but is now free-spirited, outgoing and optimistic.”

Through years of therapy, personal perseverance and a supportive family, Jason Sprague has worked hard to regain the ability to live independently. His family moved to California, and he recently moved to an apartment complex that specializes in providing support services to those with traumatic brain injuries who are trying to live with minimal assistance.

For a while, Jason gave power point presentations to elementary, high school and U of O students, sharing pictures of him in various stages of recovery. “I had nothing to do but give back. I wanted them to know it was be better to be safe than sorry, and to not drink and drive. Everyone wants to live.”

“He was so cute when he would give presentations to school kids, he would always say, “but you can see I am still good looking,” Jane said.

 

Overcome Challenges

While attending LCC classes, he said he takes a lot of notes because, “Writing doesn’t have a memory. Thoughts always stay on the page.” He also has a person in class who takes notes for him.

Jason in North Carolina Rehabilitation Center eight weeks after his accident (contributed photo).

His family commends LCC Disabilities Resources, with their “fabulous help” getting Sprague oriented on campus.

Troubled by his short term memory, he said, “I always feel like such a dumbass, asking, ‘What’s your name again? What’s your name again?’ ”

Remembering conversations, and the new friends he makes can be problematic. Scrolling through his cell phone he said he doesn’t remember who all the contacts are. He feels lucky that his long-term memory was left intact.

Money management is a big issue for Jason because he doesn’t always remember how much he’s spent. With overdrafts totaling $245, his father and step-mother recently switched him to a prepaid card, and his stepmother handles his monthly bills.

Although not able to maintain his pre-accident bowling average of 230, he is proud to have been a level 3 bowling coach. Pointing to the multiple trophies in his living room from earlier days, he said in one breath, “Bowling is just science. It’s how good you are at hitting the same individual board, the same feet down the lane at the same speed, with the same amount of revolutions on the ball to hit the same pocket to knock down all ten pins.”

Jane said socialization is another hurdle. His friends slipped away after the accident, and making new, loyal friends who appreciate his good heart, charisma, and humor, yet, will forgive his memory lapses and physical challenges are difficult to maintain.

His family said that one of Jason’s ever-present concerns is finding love and getting married.

Jason shows his colorful outlook on life (photo by Leah Averett).

“I want to be able to be next to my snuggle buddy and all that fun stuff…so I’m keeping my eyes open,” Jason said.

He walks slower than other people, because his biggest fear is of tripping and falling. He recalled that when getting on and off the bus, people sometimes make huffy remarks, and he feels they get impatient with him.

“I just think, ‘what a sad way to be; am I really your biggest worry, how long I’m taking?’ It’s a sad way to be,” Jason said.

Despite the actions of others, he said he is grateful to have a second chance at living, always tries to be respectful, and doesn’t worry about what people think of him, like he did before the accident.

“I’m a Survivor of traumatic brain injury. I’m going to have it for the rest of my life, and the easier I make it to live with, the easier it will be on me, and I want to live a long, happy life,” Jason said.

Leah Averett

Senior Reporter

Phone: (541) 810-1570
E-mail: cactusblossom59@yahoo.com