I am the Site Leader for Connect Communities, a group of small homes where people come to redesign their lives after traumatic brain injury or stroke, and the place Michael Coss calls home. I have had the pleasure of knowing Michael for the past 9 years, and I am very familiar with his capacity and experience as a creative mind, public speaker, community organizer, and discussion facilitator.
When I first met Michael, I was introduced to the work of the Michael Coss Foundation, his inspirational speaking engagements, as well as his early post-injury work as a “Sit Down Comedian.” Michael presents with a beautiful combination of professional communication and personal charisma. He tells the story of his lived experience as a survivor of a severe traumatic brain injury—a story very few can begin to imagine. He uses his platform to share the spotlight with the people who have supported him on his journey and those who have made a difference in the community of acquired brain injury, including be his parents, his former colleagues, ABI innovators and health professionals, and the remarkable friends he has made along the way.
The ancient phrase “creating beauty from ashes” comes to mind when I reflect on Michael’s response to suffering. Recounting the good work he has done since his brain injury would take several pages—the countless fundraisers he has garnered support for, the access to hypobaric oxygen treatment his foundation has provided to those who could not otherwise afford it, the inspirational speaking engagements he has given, his commitment to the mentorship of young rehabilitation professionals, and on and on. So, I will simply touch on how impressed I was with the way he dealt with the pandemic. He turned the frustration of isolation into opportunities to support and connect others. At the height of the pandemic, he led a fundraiser for a single mother who had to taken on the care of her late sister’s children when tragedy took the life of her sister. He also used this time to create his online Anything Is Possible events, the purpose of which were to bring brain injury survivors together to connect, educate, and inspire during very lonely times. I was not surprised to see these virtual events become wildly successful.
For Michael, success means using his life as a vehicle for positive change not only for survivors of acquired brain injury but for anyone who reaches out for help. I am better for knowing Michael and I look forward to watching him succeed in his future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Juliet Henderson-Rahbar, MDiv
Site Leader, Connect Communities