Meet the The Jijon Family

RESIDENT FEATURE

MEET THE JIJON FAMILY

By Stacey McEvoyPhotos by Oijoy Photography

Charles Jijon, an avid bicycle rider and skier, was

struck by a hit-and-run driver while out for a bike ride under sunny blue skies in September 2015. Over the years, he had his fair share of wipe outs on the paths and on the slopes but none of those would prepare him for what happened on one of his usual bike routes through Summit and Short Hills. Charles was catapulted

across the hood of the driver’s car and left where he landed on the overpass that bridges above Rt. 24 near Hobart Avenue in Summit, with serious injuries to his legs.

Under the care of his physicians and with the support of his wife, Irene, and their daughter, Cathryn, as well as family, friends and neighbors in Chatham, Charles made a full recovery in the span of two years that included a month-long stay in the hospital for multiple surgeries, a stay at a rehabilitation center and intense physical therapy to learn to walk again.

Charles tells his story of recovery that followed, through the help given by his family, friends and community, and the life lessons he learned along the way about preparation, resilience and the complicated web of medical insurance claims in his memoir Titanium: The Path to Recovery.

4 | Chatham Living