Home Away from Home 

Three months after 22-year-old Jacob Smetak sustained a serious brain injury in a truck accident, he arrived at Craig Hospital.

“Before getting to Craig, Jacob spent several months at a trauma hospital near our home in Olympia, Washington,” recalls his mother, Jody. “But he did not receive a lot of therapy there. He wasn’t improving, and they didn’t give us a lot of hope. However, once we got to Craig, everything began to change.”

Jacob arrived at Craig unaroused and nonverbal and needing total care. But thanks to consistent therapeutic recreational activities and daily therapy sessions, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, animal-assisted therapy and aquatic therapy—he soon began to make impressive progress during his four-month stay.

Never Giving Up

“The first thing I noticed was Jacob’s amazing care team. They constantly incorporated our family into all of Jacob’s therapy and urged us to learn how to care for him,” Jody explains. “Unfortunately, a lot of time was wasted before getting to Craig, but as soon as we arrived in Colorado, the team quickly got to work and didn’t stop. We owe Craig so much.”

Prior to Jacob’s accident, he worked as a carpenter for a construction company. As a member of the carpenter’s union, Jacob had to adhere to specific insurance rules, which didn’t allow for rehabilitation at Craig. “But the staff never ever gave up on us,” Jody explains. “They supported our family as we navigated the complicated insurance maze and helped Jacob get to Craig for the care he desperately needed.”

Jody states that she learned so much from Jacob’s time in Colorado. The family took advantage of Craig’s endless support: “While you may not think you need the help, the reality is you do. It’s easy to let yourself feel isolated but it’s not healthy to do so. Instead, try to engage with others by sharing your experiences and letting your emotions flow. Craig’s support groups and strong connections consistently helped us feel less alone during a very stressful time.”

Jody adds, “And learn how to accept assistance because it can be vital for your entire family. One of our neighbors generously helped modify our home for Jacob, while the Craig Foundation arranged for family housing, meal cards, plane tickets to get home to Washington, an iPad for communication, and home equipment not covered by insurance. We would have been completely lost without this amazing support.”

Starting a New Chapter

In February 2023, with his family and care team cheering him on, Jacob achieved his goal of independently walking out of Craig. He is currently living at home in Olympia where he continues his recovery.

“We did not know how far Jacob would get—especially after his doctors didn’t think he would survive the accident,” Jody says. “Physically, he’s doing great, and cognitively, he’s still working hard on his speech and executive functioning skills. There is no question that we wouldn’t be where we are today without Craig and the unwavering support we received. Going back home to Washington was difficult. We felt like we were leaving part of our family behind.”