03/19/2025
Ray Craighead was five miles from home, returning from a two-day, 170-mile bike tour on Sept. 20, 2022, when a van driving 55 mph hit him. Rushed to a local trauma center and close to death, a long road of recovery lay ahead.
Ray had brain surgery that December to reduce some of the symptoms from his accident.
It wasn't until Ray had recurrent falls in January 2024 that his care team suggested physical therapy. That suggestion led Ray's daughter to research neurological physical therapy, and ultimately, find us.
At the time Ray began physical therapy, he could not get around his home without assistance. He also was struggling with neurodegenerative dementia, a new diagnosis.
Ray has always enjoyed drawing. With a bachelor's degree in fine arts, he spent much of his career as an illustrator and later worked in IT. However, after the accident, Ray was forced to retire.
He knew his skill levels would never be the same. But he wanted to regain some sense of normalcy.
Working with Physical Therapist Paige Strivers, Ray has found a sense of self. While he may not be back to doing portraits, he is drawing again.
Paige and Ray continue to use various activities to restore parts of Ray's life. They've been using BlazePods to help improve his balance, as well as picking up items off the ground or doing obstacle courses.
While Ray still has a way to go with his physical therapy journey, we are happy that he's on a new path of healing with Paige.