A Second Chance After Brain Injury: Nicholas and Kesley’s Journey of Resilience, Love and Recovery
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Nicholas Redditt and Kesley Hyten met while they were both working at a Florida sanctuary giving rescued apes a second chance at life. Their connection was instant, and they were engaged less than a year later. But the universe had other plans, and Nicholas would soon be fighting for his own life.
A tragic turn
In March 2023, Nicholas fell from a moving vehicle and hit his head on a brick road. The impact shattered every bone in his head and face. It also caused a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). When Kesley arrived at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Nicholas was on life support, his head swollen beyond recognition. Surgeons performed a craniectomy to relieve pressure on his brain. “If Murphy’s Law was a person, that was Nicholas. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong,” said Kesley.
Nicholas battled pneumonia, MRSA and multiple brain infections, including meningitis. He developed hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain, requiring the placement of a shunt. “He was in like a coma for like a good two months. I would say like a Rancho level three, maybe like he had sleep wake cycles, but he wasn’t really responding to commands and was nonverbal,” said Kesley.
The long road to recovery
After months in the neuro ICU, he was transferred to a long-term acute care hospital in Tampa. It was there, in September 2023, that he began to emerge from his coma. A speech therapist at the facility saw potential in Nicholas and advocated for him to be transferred to the Brain Injury Program at Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital – University Campus in Jacksonville, Florida. This marked a turning point in his recovery.
When Nicholas arrived, he was nonverbal, immobile and dependent on others for all aspects of care. Over the next several months, Nicholas had to relearn how to walk and talk. He made remarkable progress and was able to transition from inpatient to outpatient care. That’s when Murphy’s Law struck again. Nicholas’ shunt failed, which led him back to an acute care hospital, HCA Florida Memorial Hospital. Due to a series of infections, hydrocephalus and surgeries, Nicholas bounced back and forth between Brooks and Memorial for several months.
Once he was finally able to focus on therapies, he transitioned to Brooks’ Neuro Recovery Center and started walking with help from Cyberdyne.
“The first time he used Cyberdyne, he probably only got like 10 minutes of walking, because it’d be like two minutes, then he’d have to take a break and then another two minutes. But now he can walk for 50 minutes without taking a break,” said Kesley.
Building a new life in Jacksonville
In December 2024, Kesley and Nicholas moved back home to Haines City, Florida, but had numerous complications.
“It was clear to us that because of Nicholas’ complex medical condition, we would have to move back to Jacksonville permanently.”
By April 2025, they moved to Jacksonville to be closer to the Brooks community. They found an apartment just behind Helen’s House, a temporary residence for patients and families receiving care at Brooks where they previously lived for several months. But shortly after settling in, Nicholas required another emergency brain surgery for a shunt replacement. It was his twelfth.
A partner’s unwavering support
Throughout this journey, Kesley was by Nicholas’ side every step of the way. She became his fiercest advocate, learning everything she could about his condition and how to care for him. From managing his medical equipment to understanding the intricacies of his therapies, Kesley immersed herself in the world of caregiving.
Inspired by her experience, Kesley decided to pursue a career in healthcare. She studied to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). “Everyone kept telling me, ‘You’re so good at taking care of Nicholas—you should do this for a living,’” Kesley recalls. “At first, I wasn’t sure if I could translate the love and care I give to Nicholas to strangers, but I found that I love it.”
Kesley now works at Brooks Rehabilitation, where she supports patients and their families with the same empathy and expertise that she brought to Nicholas’ care.
A community of support
Despite all of the setbacks, Nicholas regained his independence, managing household chores like doing the dishes, folding laundry and cleaning. He embraced his recovery as a full-time job, attending therapy sessions five days a week at the Brooks Neuro Recovery Center (NRC). Kesley, now working on the stroke floor at Brooks, drops him off in the morning and picks him up in the evening. Their lives revolved around recovery, but they found joy and purpose in this new normal.
One of the most significant aspects of Nicholas’ recovery has been the sense of community he and Kesley have found at Brooks. From therapists and nurses to fellow patients, the support network has been invaluable. Nicholas has formed friendships with other patients, participated in adaptive sports like cycling and bowling, and even joined events like the Challenge Mile. These activities have not only aided his physical recovery but also provided a sense of belonging.
“Jacksonville is a bubble,” Kesley says. “You have adaptive sports, the NRC, and a community that understands what you’re going through. We felt so disconnected when we were living elsewhere, but here, we’ve found our place.”
A testament to resilience
Their journey, though marked by immense challenges, is a story of love, perseverance and the power of community. Nicholas and Kesley credit Brooks Rehabilitation for playing a pivotal role in their lives. “We love Brooks! We are big fans,” Kesley says. “I don’t know where we would be without the community, support and programs here in Jacksonville. I wish everybody had access.”
