By Glenn Gentry, Eden Supportive Living-Champaign
Brent H. was born in Dallas, TX and raised in Urbana, IL. He attended Illinois State University as a football walk-on, and then completed his master’s degree in public administration at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He worked as an assistant city manager in Portage, MI and Clayton, MO, then as city manager for Town & Country, MO, and Ellisville, MO before striking out on his own to form a public policy consulting company called Civic Quest.
Brent suffered a massive stroke in November 2011. Although he recalls little about that day, he has since learned that the surgeons thought they had lost him twice during his operation to relieve pressure on his brain. When he awoke from a coma one month later, he was completely paralyzed, unable to speak and on a feeding tube. While recovering in the hospital, he regained the use of his right side and eventually continued his rehabilitation at facilities in Missouri and Central Illinois. His ability to speak came back after countless hours in speech therapy, and he continued to get stronger with physical therapy. The journey to recovery tested his will, frequently dealing with bouts of depression. For a period of time, according to Brent, he knew all of the pizza and Chinese food delivery persons by their first name, and soon realized he had added more than a few extra pounds to his six-foot frame.
By the time he moved to a supportive living residence in
Champaign in October 2013, he had already made the decision to make healthier food choices and to pick up the pace with his exercise and physical therapy, losing 75 lbs. His sister Cali encouraged him to join her for the annual Turkey Trot, held at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana on Thanksgiving Day. At the end of the one-mile course, Brent met up with the race organizer who proceeded to pin the first place ribbon on his shirt, telling him “you’re the real winner.”
Brent enjoys a very strong support network, including his sister and mother. But his most powerful inspiration comes from the loving relationship he has with his children: Brandon, Justin, and Morgan. They are truly in awe of their father’s continued progress. Brent proved his commitment once again on Friday, April 25, by completing the Presence Covenant Medical Center 5K race during the weekend-long Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon. As he entered the University of Illinois Memorial Stadium to make his way to the finish line at the 50-yard line, Brent was met by the race emcee, a U of I track coach, who interviewed him as he completed the race. Brent noticed that he was also displayed on the stadium Jumbotron, and as he crossed the finish line with the stadium crowd chanting his name, he told the emcee “I don’t think I had a very good time, coach.”
We at Eden Supportive Living-Champaign are all very proud Brent’s accomplishments and grateful to have him as a member of the Eden community. For more information about Eden Supportive Living or the Illinois Supportive Living Program, please call 217-903-5900 or email Kim Cross, marketing director, at kcross@edenslf.com.
Photo courtesy of Eden Supportive Living-Champaign