www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 79 from which he might wake up with 100% brain function or severe permanent brain injuries – or he might never wake up at all. Not even the doctor could predict what the future would hold. Everyone’s specific prayer became “Andrew 100%.” Beverly remembers the next three-and-a-half weeks at the hospital feeling much like a roller coaster ride. While her only son silently battled pneumonia and other infections, he also needed a tracheotomy and a feeding tube. Then there was the ninehour facial surgery, which involved placing seven plates and 42 screws along the shattered bones in Andrew’s face. It would be the first of three surgeries to repair some of the damage from the accident. Two days later, on Jan. 19, 2013, Andrew Waters opened his eyes and responded to his parents for the first time since the accident. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he had two more facial surgeries and began the long journey of learning how to live again. This meant daily speech, physical and occupational therapy. For the once virile Chapman High School football and track athlete, it was a slow process. During this time, Donnie and Beverly Waters primarily stayed with their son while his two sisters tried to navigate both their final semester of high school and quick trips to Atlanta every weekend to encourage their brother and have family time. When the three-month Atlanta rehab was completed, Andrew returned home to continue his treatment as an outpatient, three days a week at Peace Rehab in Greenville. Although he was able to navigate around the house, he required 24-hour care and could not be left alone because of his brain injury. Getting their son back to the place where he could drive a vehicle and start classes at Spartanburg Community College would be a full twoyear journey for the entire family. Today, Andrew still works on memory issues, his reasoning abilities, balance, loss of smell and the loss of hearing in one ear. He has no memory of about six months surrounding the time of his accident. “I am blessed to be alive and continue to see blessings each day,” he said. “I work part-time and do some public speaking about the dangers of acting before thinking, from a medical perspective and as a brain-injury survivor. For my future, I see happiness. I hope to be able to get into a full-time career and live independently.” Faith remains a very important part of the Waters family journey. Learning what had happened to him in the accident, initially threw Andrew first into a serious depression. However, now, he said, “I feel that this accident brought me closer to God. My faith is what saw me through and continues to strengthen me today.” “We could not have gotten through this without relying on our faith and sticking together as a family,” his mother said. “God gave us peace that Andrew would be OK. We had people praying all over the country. We received tremendous support from our families, our friends, our church family at Inman First Baptist and our community.” To other families dealing with a traumatic brain injury, Waters offers this message: “You have to hang on to hope.” “Shoot for the moon; even if you miss, you will land among the stars,” Andrew added. Andrew with his dad, Donnie. Back: sister Katherine; dad Donnie. Middle: Andrew; mom Beverly. Front: sister Kimberly. Andrew with his dog, Jabo.
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