Our foundation carries my son's name.
Told in Justin's own words.
The day everything changed
On December 14, 2023, my son Justus was riding home when another driver cut off the family's car and forced it into a second vehicle. The impact crushed the side of his skull against the seat in front of him.
Justus was rushed into emergency surgery, where doctors removed fragments of bone from his brain and rebuilt his skull. He survived. But when he woke up, he couldn't walk. He couldn't talk.
What we learned on the road
We spent about a month and a half at the children's hospital in West Palm Beach while Justus fought his way back to his first words. Then a month at a rehabilitation center in Jacksonville. Then we went looking — hyperbaric oxygen therapy in New Orleans, neuro-acupuncture in New Mexico, specialists in Arizona. When we finally came home, we kept going: speech therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive programs, one-on-one work, every single day.
Here's what I learned that no parent should have to learn: recovery from a traumatic brain injury is a full-time job with an enormous bill. Insurance covers a fraction. The therapies families and their care teams choose can cost hundreds of dollars a session, and progress is measured in months and years, not weeks. We could keep fighting for Justus because we could keep paying for the fight. Most families can't.
Why Justus For Kids exists
Justus still isn't 100%. But he walks. He talks. He remembers, laughs, and learns — and he gets a little stronger every day. Unless you knew him before the accident, you might not notice anything at all.
That's why this foundation carries his name. Justus For Kids funds therapy sessions for children recovering from traumatic brain injuries whose families can't cover the cost — so no child's recovery is ever limited by what their family can pay.
Today, Justus For Kids is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. We are a family foundation in the most literal sense — built around one child's story, in service of many.
