NASCAR Ernie Irvan and his recovery from brain injury inspiring
Ernie Irvan, former NASCAR driver, walked through the John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation and it brought back memories of his long road to recovery. He met and spoke with patients who suffered a traumatic brain injury, just like he did. Mr. Irvan, 48, no longer races for NASCAR, but uses his fame and influence to warn others about the injury many call the ‘silent epidemic’. “Lance Armstrong was one of my heroes. He conquered cancer. If he could do that, I figured I could do something,” Mr. Irvan said. Mr. Irvan became a NASCAR superstar in the early 1990s. His career and life were forever changed by a wreck in August 1994 at Michigan International Speedway. A blown tire caused his car to crash head-on into the wall at 170 mph. He suffered critical brain injuries and was given a 10% chance to live. He later had a comeback to NASCAR, running successfully for a three-year stint, but was forced to retire after suffering another head injury during a wreck at Michigan. Mr. Irvan started the Race2Safety group, www.race2safety.com, to raise awareness about brain injuries. James Brogna, a vice president at John Heinz Allied Services, said Mr. Irvan’s visit showed patients there is hope. “You have a celebrity people remember from his racing days. Some of the people here are at the beginning steps of their recovery. They see him walking around and functioning. It’s something they could aspire to as a goal,” he said.
