Mary Brower believes we all have a responsibility to give back to our community and that we all have something to give.
“Whether it’s our time, talent, encouragement or simply money, we all have something to contribute for the good of others,” says Mary. “When I give, I try to find a balance between giving to the major organizations that work all around the world helping thousands of people and giving to the smaller groups that may not be helping as many people but are doing extremely important work. On With Life falls into the second category.”
Mary’s brother, Chris, suffered a stroke in 2016 and spent several months in On With Life’s inpatient and long-term skilled care programs. Mary supports On With Life because their family believes Chris didn’t get his life back until he arrived at On With Life.
“After experiencing a traumatic brain injury, patients receive life-saving care from first responders, doctors and nurses at the hospital,” Mary says. “Yet it was the kind, caring, extremely competent therapists working in the nurturing environment at On With Life in both Ankeny and Glenwood that brought him back. For that, our family will always be grateful.”
Chris’s rehab journey is definitely a family affair. During his time at On With Life his sisters stayed in the family house, where they appreciated seeing him every day. Chris now lives in Harlan, Iowa, with his niece and her husband who provide most of his care.
“On With Life calls their clients ‘persons served,’ but they could really say ‘families served,’” says Mary. “A brain injury affects everyone in the family. When we arrived at On With Life, we were still in shock, but the therapists, administrators and staff took us under their wings and gave us hope. The family house was invaluable to us, as we were not local. The opportunity to spend time with other families that were going through the same thing continues to be a great resource for us.”
While Chris continues to improve, Mary continues to support the On With Life Foundation. She says, “In the years since we were there, it has been really exciting to see that On With Life continues to grow, improve and expand. It feels wonderful to have a small part in helping those efforts.”