Financial Assistance After Spinal Injury Helped Brendan Heal

I’ve lived in Atlanta for about 15 or 16 years and was fortunate to join its hospitality community when Top Flr was still open. I began as a busser, worked my way to bartender and eventually beverage manager. I had a love for developing and educating those around me and led fantastic roles as General Manager. My goal was to never stop learning and support those around me.

In 2013, I was hit by a car while heading home after taking inventory at work. The accident came without warning and left me with a severe shoulder injury.

Facing months out of work, I worried about covering my living expenses without a paycheck. A coworker at The Lawrence told me about Giving Kitchen and the support it offered during difficult times.

Giving Kitchen covered a couple of months of rent and utilities. That support was a tremendous relief, giving me time to focus on caring for myself.

On the second-to-last day of our honeymoon, I went surfing. I was excited to get out on the water and caught my first wave.

When I popped up quickly on the board, I felt an unfamiliar twinge in my back. I assumed it was a pinched nerve.

I got off the board, kicked my legs, and moved my arms through the water. Everything seemed fine, the instructors were so adamant about avoiding rocks and collisions, so I decided to finish the surf lesson I had paid for.

Back on the beach, my legs began to feel numb. Something wasn’t right, and I was in pain.

My wife and I canceled our plans and decided to return to our Airbnb to prepare for our flight the next day.

We stopped for a quick lunch, but when I tried to stand up to pay, I stumbled and couldn’t get to my feet.

We rushed to the emergency room, where I was diagnosed with surfer’s myelopathy. I felt as though I’d won the lottery of rare injuries. As I understand it, a blood vessel near my spinal cord in the thoracic region had kinked, causing something like a small stroke in the spine and leaving me paralyzed.

It was one of the scariest experiences of my life. My wife was five months pregnant, and I worried about her, our family, and whether I could continue working in the industry. I had just joined Indigo Road Hospitality Group at Indaco, and I wasn’t sure what the injury would mean for my new job.

Fortunately, my employer kept me on, so I could retain my health insurance. Giving Kitchen also supported me when I needed it most, giving me time to focus on healing.

At Shepherd Center, I learned how to care for myself. It’s a fantastic organization—if you haven’t heard of it, I encourage you to learn more. The team works miracles.

After completing rehab, I returned to Indaco to lead the team and create memorable experiences for our guests.

I spent the next year running the restaurant from my wheelchair. Although I loved my role as a front-of-house manager, increasing nerve pain eventually forced me to step away and focus on my health again.

During that time, I was fortunate to spend a wonderful year with my son, watching him grow from our little couch potato into a wobbly toddler.

My love for hospitality never faded, so I became a hospitality recruiter with Goodwin Recruiting, connecting with talented people and clients. Now I relink with industry peers and help people and restaurants succeed.

This rewarding role gives me the freedom to build my own business and shape my own success.