Story of Hope: Donnie Dewitt

At the age of 42, Donnie Dewitt was a healthy, active runner and cyclist.  While out cycling by himself, a witness saw him stop on the side of the road and look like he was about to faint.  He got back on his bike but then collapsed.

A CT scan revealed he had a massive brain hemorrhage that led to a stroke.  The hemorrhage and bleeding was so severe, the neurosurgeon told his wife Belinda that he had less than a 5% chance of surviving the surgery.  And there was no way of knowing with any certainty what he would be like after the surgery.

Donnie couldn’t walk or talk when he arrived.  He had right hemiparesis and expressive aphasia.  He spent 2 ½ months at Brooks but gave his wife and two teenage sons the best gift of all when he came home for Christmas.

This past March, Donnie completed the Brooks Challenge Mile at the Gate River Run without any assistive device.  He still has work to do on his road to recovery, but walking a mile after a 5% chance of survival is a pretty good indicator of how far he’s come.  He has incredible support from his loving family and they all know Brooks will be there to support them every step of the way.