16-year-old Noah was vacationing down in Miami at a resort with his father during a school break, taking advantage of some free time. Noah and four of his friends were riding on motorbikes during his trip when a driver abruptly cut Noah off, giving him no option but to collide with the SUV. Noah was violently thrown off of his dirt bike and flew through the passenger window, landing inside the vehicle.
Noah suffered a traumatic brain injury from the impact along with a slew of broken bones and other injuries. Noah was placed in a medically-induced coma as his swelling brain needed time to heal. It wasn’t long before Noah was transferred up north to a hospital in Philadelphia, his home town, where his care improved greatly.
“It’s was like a nightmare. I can talk for days on some of the stuff we went through, you know?” Anthony says. “It’s always something.”
It took months of therapy and rehab to get Noah back home back under the care of his father. Five years later, Noah still suffers from life-long effects of the brain injury he suffered, but Anthony and Noah remain positive that he’ll find his freedom again.
Today, Noah requires significant physical, occupational and speech therapy to overcome an array of neurological impairments. Currently, he’s not able to ambulate without assistance, nor can he tolerate drinking liquids or eating most foods so he requires g-tube for feeding.
“He can talk and he just got his own iPad this year,” Anthony says of Noah’s communication. “And it’s programmed with sentences. So he can use that and use some words.”
Noah gives a thumbs up during a therapy session at Bensalem High School outside of Philadelphia, PA.
The once athletic and active teenager now struggles to overcome steps in his own household but is working tirelessly to regain his physical strength.
“Only by God’s grace, he’s alive,” Anthony proudly claims. “He’s young and he’s healthy. He’s progressing, you know? Not as fast as I’d like, but he’s getting stronger every day.”
When Anthony reached out on behalf of his son, he was interested in getting Noah a specialized indoor bike that had proven to be great therapy for Noah at school. Noah seemed to be excited about the option to continue to ride a bike at home so we wanted to make that happen.
Thanks to our incredible donors, Holton’s Heroes was able to purchase a brand new Schwinn Fitness Recumbent Bike, a heavy duty equipment mat and some gym towels for Noah to use at home. This versatile exercise bike offers a large array of therapeutic benefits as Noah work on regaining the full use of his legs, while allowing him to sit comfortably throughout his routine.
We are only able to continue to help amazing kids like Noah with your support, so please consider donating directly to our foundation today here.
“He loves the bike. He watches his iPad while he works out on it. Thank you for getting this for Noah.”
Check out some of our other heroes from 2021
“Tonight, we feel the power of humanity in a bath chair. Go figure. Some people feel excited about cars and other luxuries, but here I am just wanting my boy to be bathed safely,” Joshua mom wrote to us after her son received his gift from Holton’s Heroes.