Veteran's Day Highlights Rehab Center's Vital Work with Brain-Injured Veterans and First Responders

This Veteran's Day, the spotlight is on the critical work being done at a rehabilitation center in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania to support veterans and first responders suffering from traumatic brain injuries. The MossRehab Institute for Brain Health has been providing comprehensive, tailored care to this underserved population, helping them rebuild their lives after devastating injuries.

One such success story is that of Army veteran Scott Edgell. In 1989, Edgell sustained a brain injury during a military training exercise when the hatch of the tank he was riding in struck him in the head. Though he initially recovered, decades later Edgell began experiencing debilitating symptoms like dizziness, balance issues, and visual problems, as well as overwhelming anxiety and depression.

"I was broken and down and out when I walked in the door," Edgell recalls. But the intensive three-week program at the MossRehab Institute, which includes art therapy, physical therapy, and cognitive rehabilitation, proved transformative. "They gave me the ability to rebuild my life and get my life back," he says. Edgell's therapy also involved getting a service dog, which he credits for "turning my life around."

Now, Edgell is dedicated to helping other brain injury survivors at the center, which is one of only six federally funded traumatic brain injury facilities in the country focused on first responders. "There is help," Edgell affirms. "There's hope, and there's happiness."