‘Rebuilding Adam’: How one man beat the odds and defied death
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Every so often you hear about a story of someone defying all odds and achieving the unthinkable — Adam Elnekaveh’s story is one of those.
“You may feel as if you are indestructible, but just know you are not indestructible,” he said.
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It’s a profound thought on a simple, sunny day in Salt Lake City. For Adam, it’s the simple beauties around him that are profound.
“I want to be a success, not just for my family and friends, but also for me,” he said. “To be able to see all this entire beautiful world we’re living on, there’s so much to see.”
Six years ago, Adam was a fitness influencer. He said working out was his entire life.
That was, at least, until May 2018. That’s when Adam went with a friend on a trip to Thailand. While there, Adam got on a motorcycle without a helmet. What happened next — whether he crashed or the motorcycle malfunctioned — he said is a blur. Adam was on the ground, in a pool of blood, unconscious.
They went to the hospital, where doctors told Adam’s parents to prepare for the worst.
“They were given horrid news: ‘Your son has a traumatic brain injury that we don’t see often. We don’t think he’s going to survive,’” Adam recalled.
But somehow, some way, he slowly improved. Bit by bit, the improvements got quicker and quicker.
10 months after the accident, Adam was walking, talking, lifting – he even got his driver’s license.
How he did, he can’t exactly pinpoint — but Adam said he has a few ideas.
“Think of yourself as someone who needs to apply themselves little by little,” he said. “Even if it’s rehab for one hour a day, one hour a week, one hour a month. Don’t ever stop progressing, no matter how minuscule it might be.”
Now, Adam recognized life looks different than what it once was, but he said he’s taking the lessons he’s learned with him.
“The greatest thing I’ve learned is always be appreciative of what you have,” he said.
Adam’s book, “Rebuilding Adam: The Tragedy” is out now. He said being able to journal throughout his recovery process has been a huge part of his therapy.
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