NeuroRestorative New Jersey Participant Featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show NeuroRestorative New Jersey participant Emilee Ballinghoff was given the opportunity to tell her story on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this past fall — an opportunity not many 21-year-olds have. Ballinghoff, a participant at NeuroRestorative New Jersey’s day treatment program in Galloway, has experienced emotional and physical hardship as a result of a car crash in 2013. Emilee sustained significant injuries during the crash, including a brain injury as well as the loss of her right leg. During her time in the hospital immediately following the accident, Emilee enjoyed watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a program which she said made her laugh, cry and smile. Now two years post-injury and well on her way to increased independence, Emilee reached out to The Ellen DeGeneres show to tell her story of perseverance and explained that the program helped her stay optimistic when she was in the hospital after the car accident. A week after contacting the show, Emilee was asked to fly out to Los Angeles to be a guest on the program. Invited along with Deb Bergmann, State Director, NeuroRestorative New Jersey, and Christine Prior, Program Director of the Galloway program, Emilee packed her bags for her exciting West Coast adventure.
Emilee Ballinghoff posing in Los Angeles
Emilee, sometimes referred to as “Dory” by her friends and family for the good-hearted fish with short-term memory loss from the Disney movie classic “Finding Nemo,” shared on the show that she hopes to go to college to become a physical therapist in order to help other rehabilitative amputees on their paths to independence. DeGeneres awarded Emilee a $20,000 check, provided by Shutterfly, to help her achieve her dream, as well as a year of free rides from Uber to assist her with traveling to and from school as she develops the skills to drive herself. “This is my dream. Meeting you, Ellen, is amazing. I feel blessed,” said Emilee on The Ellen Show.
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Emilee Ballinghoff and Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show