West Chester University graduate Jack Cavanaugh did not know if he would ever be able to surf again following the traumatic brain injury he suffered a decade ago, writes Matteo Iadonisi for 6ABC. 

“I was in a coma for a month after that,” said Cavanaugh. 

After he began recovering, he had to learn again how to walk, talk, and swallow, among many other things. He still managed to return to school and graduate cum laude from West Chester University. 

Although he still had to use a wheelchair, his family took him to an annual event in Wildwood, New Jersey, called “They Will Surf Again.” There, volunteers help dozens of individuals with disabilities ride the waves. 

He enjoyed the event so much that he went back in the following years both as a surfer and later as a volunteer. This year, he was among the 100 surfers who were assisted by nearly 600 volunteers, including therapists, nurses, doctors, and students. 

Cavanaugh described his surfing session as “exhilarating,” and it felt like “everything was back to the way it was.” 

Read more about Jack Cavanaugh’s journey at 6ABC.