Today we’d like to introduce you to James Durham III.
James, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
On September 22nd, 2011, after a great employee outing in San Antonio, TX, I was on my way home on my custom show bike: Yamaha r6 updated by Jesse James West Coast Choppers. That last part of the journey was crossing over an interstate (about two miles away from my house) at 9:30 pm. At the interstate entry light, there was a car that was stopped at the traffic light but didn’t have their blinker on. So, it seemed that they were trying to make a U-turn. Therefore, I made sure I went on the far right lane out of three lanes to give them the correct amount of room to make a u-turn. However, when I went through the light, they went through it not to do a u-turn, but to only get on to the access road. Which resulted with me being T-boned on my motorcycle.
The force of the impact threw me off my motorcycle and luckily there was a light pole on the edge of the overpass to catch me. After impact, my helmet flew off and landed 200 yards away. The driver of the car behind me that saw the entire accident called 911 and asked for immediate life flight ambulance transport to San Antonio’s University Hospital instead of only an ambulance.
My family (located in Southlake) got an immediate call and drove fast to San Antonio for a long late-night emotional drive. When they arrived, they learned that I had a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (STBI), skull fractures, multiple facial fractures including both eye sockets, a burst spleen, a broken left leg, a severely damaged left eye and optic nerve that caused me to become 100% blind in that eye. They also learned that prognosis was not good. I underwent multiple surgeries(13), including the removal of part of my skull to reduce pressure on the brain caused by swelling. I remained in a natural coma for five weeks.
Within 24 hours of the wreck, the doctors told my parents there was nothing else they could do “It is up to James and God right now, but James does not have the ability to do it by himself. We highly recommend prayer.”- Dr. Parra UHSA. My family stayed with me in the UHSA ER room, kept talking to me, praying for me and staying involved in medical steps. Then thanks to the Doctors, Nurses and the power of prayer being nationally and internationally on: 10/26/201, spontaneously, I woke up. Still, the doctors didn’t think I’d ever be able to walk, talk, live properly, even remember anything plus more. However, God has a different plan in store!
After I regained consciousness at the end of October, I was admitted to TIRR Memorial Hermann, a brain and spine specialty rehabilitation hospital (#1 in TX #3 in the USA) where I spent the next six weeks. At TIRR, I was always (when out of bed) wearing a helmet to protect the part of my brain where the skull had been removed, I began the intense therapies of this new journey and unknown future life. I was similar to a newborn and had to learn all over again how to do anything (eat, numbers, finger numbers, use wheelchair, etc.)
After I left TIRR Memorial Hermann, I returned to San Antonio to have the missing piece of my skull replaced, then went home to Dallas, where I began daily outpatient therapy (Centre for Neuro Skills off MacArthur) specializing in brain injury rehabilitation. I was blessed and thanks to God’s plan and everyone that prayed, I attended CNS for six months when was told it would be a minimum of 3-5 years.
Towards the end of therapy, I began to take college classes at a nearby junior college (Northlake off MacArthur), along with learning how to drive again, plus was given the opportunity to bring inspiring positive energy to others in therapy. After I was released from rehabilitation, I spent time with family in our vacation beach house in Panama City Beach, Florida, and eventually asked to stay. At that time, I enrolled in Gulf Coast State College in 2012, just 11 months after the accident, along with being one of the first to use their Traumatic Brain Injury (which is high in military and the local base is very close) educational plan.
During the first two years of recovery, I went back to TIRR as a volunteer and liaison for patients and families, graduated with an AA Degree from GCSC, presented the Commencement Speech at GCSC 2014 graduation (being the first student that was graduating at that ceremony also speaking), worked closely with patients and families in Second Chance, a North Florida brain injury facility, worked with teens as a mentor, created a non-profit organization: TBI One Love, and completed another life-long dream of becoming a “Seminole” (just like my father and mother’s side of the family) being accepted into Florida State University Panama City.
During the first two years of recovery and continuing into the next two at FSU, I continued to fulfill the new purpose of helping other traumatic brain injury survivors and caregivers, sharing his journey and message of positivity, faith, and hidden disabilities, and spreading awareness of traumatic brain injury. Which was another God wink because I also met a huge inspiration in my classes that thanks to his plan, she later become my wife!
On the four-year anniversary of the accident on September 22, 2015, TIRR Memorial Hermann honored me for my work and as an inspiration for other TBI survivors by induction into their Wall of Fame with 25 other inspiring survivors. Shortly thereafter, In the fall semester of 2015, I completed my degree and my organization reached over 100,000 members featuring over 100 Survivors from several countries and continues to grow.
Starting 2016 as an FSU Alumni, and the organization has been my primary focus. The organization’s website provides information about TBI prevention, treatment and support, and offers a forum for others recovering from TBI to share their stories. A new website design and new partnerships are furthering the outreach, at times over 10,000 visits a day! As a new show host on “Brain Injury Radio”, each month that covers 50 states and 32 countries, the TBI One Love Podcast brings topics, discussion, guest speakers, and connection to others concerned with Brain Injury nationally and internationally.
In addition, in January 2016, the National Brain Injury Association asked me to join as a member of a future list of National Speakers regarding Traumatic Brain Injury. Working with Brain Injury Survivors and speaking on a regular basis to organizations, churches, hospitals, the radio, website, social media, schools, businesses, and television stations, his message of positivity, faith, and Traumatic Brain Injury continues to inspire and help others, which connected me with Tom Ziglar (the Son of Zig Ziglar).
With already being a motivational and educational speaker focusing on creating more productivity, positivity, and success on all levels regarding professional and personal environment, I had the unique training opportunity to help others achieve success in their personal and professional lives through techniques developed in overcoming a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury, and the proven techniques of Zig Ziglar as a Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainer & Speaker. Life is full of obstacles and difficult circumstances. During those times and not, we all want a happy workplace, a happy home life, and to achieve our idea of success.
The combination of experience, training, and an infectiously positive outlook allows me to have a powerful effect on any audience and change their lives forever. “If you love the life you live, your life will love you back” James Durham. One love.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course, it has not been a smooth road. Because a Traumatic Brain Injury is a life long journey that no survivors match completely besides having a brain injury. Some of the struggles that I deal with is, being blind in my left eye, trouble hearing out of my left ear, aphasia randomly, no sense or taste, and other mental, physical and emotional differences.
Please tell us about TBI One Love.
TBI One Love is spreading a positive form of: Hope, Inspiration, Education for those that have been touched by a Brain Injury, and also Awareness and Prevention. I share my own experience of overcoming great obstacles in recovery after waking from a coma, the long journey, facing challenges, and the necessary components needed for anyone facing life-changing obstacles to have hope and success in any trials they may face. The example I present in my own experience and outcome is beneficial for anyone in overcoming and/or simply changing perspectives in life’s true meaning and purpose while inspiring an “anything is possible” approach to all.
I specialize in changing minds and lives for business owners, employees, families and/or individual’s lives forever. I am known for the power of positivity, faith, life-changing perspectives from personal experience, my passion and spreading HOPE to anyone at anytime EVERYWHERE.
With speaking: Ziglar, Inc. is a premier training company established by the late Zig Ziglar, author and motivational/inspirational speaker for over 50 years. We are committed to continuing the legacy left by our founder and extremely excited about promoting his life’s work through these outstanding Zig Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainers. The combination of experience, training, and an infectiously positive outlook allows having a powerful effect on any audience.
“What our mind conceives and believes, it will achieve.”- James Durham.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would not have done anything differently. Because my life not only would be different, but if anything changed. I would not of gotten the opportunity to learn the truth about heaven after personally visiting when I passed away on the impact of my accident, and the privilege to be the luckiest man alive with finding my soul-mate: my wife, Alina.
Contact Info:
- Address: 300 State Street Suite 93932, Southlake, Texas 76092
- Website: tbionelove.org
- Email: contact@tbionelove.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tbionelove or www.instagram.com/james.durham3
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tbionelovejj
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/tbionelove
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-durham/
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