JUDE

Jude lived for the big wave and spent much of his life chasing it, even traveling as far as Ehukai Beach Park in Hawaii — home of the infamous Banzai Pipeline. This reef surf break located on the island of O’ahu’s north shore has left many surfers injured, including Jude. His entire life changed after a horrific wipeout left him with a traumatic brain injury. “The last thing I remember was thinking that the whole wave was golden,” he says. “Then everything went black.”

That day Jude was carried out of the water and resuscitated after suffering many serious blows to the head on the sharp rocks and coral below the water’s surface. He was treated at a local trauma center and released, not having sustained any life-threatening injuries. Upon returning to his daily life, Jude began experiencing debilitation symptoms including extreme headaches, unexplained emotional outbursts, and feelings of depression. “I would get really sad

A Recovery Journey Inspired By A Passion For Love And Life

and I was having suicidal thoughts,” he says. “Thank God I never followed through.”

Jude didn’t recognize himself internally anymore. “I would start crying for no reason and would look in the mirror and say to myself, ‘who am I?’” Thanks to the guidance of a close friend who had also suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Jude found the treatment he needed for his symptoms. He responded particularly well to transcranial magnetic stimulation — a noninvasive form of brain stimulation in which the brain is exposed to a changing magnetic field. After just a week of daily 20 to 30-minute treatments, Jude began seeing results. Though his recovery journey continues, Jude looks to his loved ones and his passion for surfing to find inspiration. “My love of life, family and sport inspires my fight back to health every single day.”

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