SALEM, Va. – A Salem family that faced unbelievable tragedy is using its experience to help others handle loss and recovery.
Sunday marks the five-year anniversary of an accident that claimed the life of a beloved son and brother.
"Just his memory kept me going and I didn't want to give up," said Steven Myers.
Five years ago, a car accident in Craig County took the life of Steven Myers' best friend, his brother Aaron. While that kind of loss is hard for anyone to process, Steven had much more to overcome. He was in the car too and barely made it out alive.
"As I started to come out of the coma, it was kind of like I was in a dream. It took me a while to full comprehend what was going on and what was happening," said Steven.
Five years later, Steven is not letting his traumatic brain injury define him. He's walking and talking again. He's taking classes at Virginia Western and just started working at Lowe's. A miraculous recovery he says wouldn't have been possible without the help of his parents, Carlan and Norma, two parents helping a son get his life back, all the while honoring the memory of another.
"It's two-fold because we grieve for Aaron every day but on the other hand we've just watched Steven go above and beyond to get to where he is today," said Norma Myers.
Steven needed all the support his parents could give. After waking up from the coma, Steven was sent to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for intense therapy. For three months, Norma and Carlan watched their surviving son battle to get back to his old self.
"Once he's ready to get out on his own, I'm not sure that we'll be ready but we'll be really proud knowing that he's fought so hard to get there," said Norma.
Steven has big goals for his future; his biggest is to use his story of survival to give others hope. And today, Carlan and Norma are relying on their faith and also feeling thankful, thankful for a community that was there for them in their darkest times, thankful for a son who battles a brain injury heroically every day and thankful for the sweet reminders of Aaron.
"Even though he's not here, he tends to push us. We talk about him every day. We just celebrated his birthday yesterday. I think he helps us just keep driving forward," said Carlan.