TBI Awareness Day At Ann Visger Elementary

“This is awesome!”  That’s how one elementary student summed up the Brain Injury Awareness Day that Special Tree organized for 300 students at Ann Visger Elementary in River Rouge on March 29 in honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month.  Speech Language Pathologists Lauren G. (NCC), Sara K. (Troy), Mary Lynn C. (NCC Intern), Vocational Coordinator Sara L., Day Treatment Services Team Member Danielle C., client James P, and Joe R., planned a full day of activities in the school’s new library just one month after its grand opening on Leap Day. 

Classes came down each hour and were split into rotating groups with each group focusing on a specific part of the brain. Kids participated in a variety of activities to help them learn which parts of the brain were responsible for skills like balance, vision, taste, smell, and touch.  Special Tree also purchased 10 bicycle helmets as prizes for drawing held throughout the day. The students not only learned about brain anatomy, but the Special Tree Team really stressed the importance of TBI prevention including wearing a seat belt and bicycle helmet.

The Special Tree Team takes a quick break from a day of educational fun at Ann Visger Elementary

Luck of the Irish

By: Brooke Anderson

Rehabilitation Service Technician

Greenbriar Residence

Greenbriar clients went out in green for St. Patrick's Day to O'Mara's Restaurant in Berkley for the 5th year in a row. They enjoyed dinner and a live performance from an Irish band. The food was great and the music was a lot of fun, and the band was hilarious as always. This is a wonderful tradition that Greenbriar clients look forward to every year.  With reasonably priced, traditional Irish food and live entertainment, O'Mara's proves to be a great place for our clients to celebrate the Luck of the Irish. Go Greenbriar!

The Greenbriar Gang celebrates St. Patty's Day.
From left to right:

Linda, Mike, Joanna, Brooke, Conswayla and Stanley.

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The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

By: Jessica Bahny
Activities Assistant, NeuroCare Center

Once a month, the Activities Team likes to do a larger outing with two or three clients. In honor of African American History Month, in February we decided to pay a visit to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.

We took our clients Gaylor F. and Bradly R. to the museum, what a beautiful place! The building is gorgeous, and very well maintained. The staff is extremely polite, respectful, and very knowledgeable. Guides walk around to take you through the life-like exhibits and answer any questions. We only had time to visit one wing, so we chose the “We Shall Rise” historical portion. I was completely amazed! The amount of work that goes into an exhibit like this one is nothing short of astronomical. This exhibit is absolutely amazing. There were dioramas featuring hundreds of people, so lifelike that you expect them to start talking to you.

We begin in ancient Africa, visiting the King, and watching the happenings at a marketplace. We learned about the crops, the jewelry, and the baskets that were sold by merchants. We then made our way onto a ship designed for carrying captives to slavery in America. We walked through the barracks, where hundreds of people were stacked one on top of the other, awaiting their fate in America. Our tour guide told us that most of the people who were being taken captive didn’t even speak the same language. I couldn’t even imagine- being ripped from my family and stuffed in close quarters with people that I couldn’t even have a conversation with. Even though this is a part of history that I am familiar with, I still felt I experienced it in a new light.

We were able to hear “Frederick Douglass” give his famous speech, and watch “Harriet Tubman” lead people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Did you know that Harriet Tubman shot passengers who didn’t listen to her instructions in order to protect the others? She meant business! Our guide even told us that her great-great grandmother helped Ms. Tubman usher people to Canada! How cool is that?

Later, we walked down a mock Detroit street and listened as the rousing tunes of Motown played from a recreated record store. We all had a great time- the outing received rave reviews from all of us! In fact, I think I’m going back on my own time. I highly recommend you do the same! Go check it out, you’ll have a great cultural experience, and who knows? You just might learn something new! Stay tuned for more updates…..I’ll be in touch soon!

A Great Musical Experience

By: Kari Webster
NeuroCare Center Activity Aide

The Village Theater at Cherry Hill in Canton provided comfort and hospitality for the showing of “The Grease Musical” put on by Forever Productions, which consisted of a 35 member chorus composed of very talented youths from Plymouth, Canton and surrounding communities. They gave an outstanding performance and took us back to Rydell High, Danny Zuko and Sandy, along with the groovy T-Birds and the Pink Ladies! The cast gave a wonderful performance and the stage props and the clothing they were over the top and were above and beyond mine and Coleen's expectations. Such a talented group of young adults shined on the stage and outdid themselves!

This was certainly an unforgettable outing. A short ride down the rode, stepping into a quaint but elegant theater to slip away from the day to day activities at NCC to a memorable step back into the late 50's and just a few days prior to Coleen's birthday, I saw this as a special way for her to celebrate. Sure the play was great as I mentioned but even better was Coleen's reaction to it all. It was simply awesome to see her enjoy herself, to see her smile throughout the play, see her point out some of the cast and their skits, and to have her be so appreciative and thankful as we left the theater. Sure, the play was good, but her enjoyment of the time spent there was what was awesome. I am so glad she enjoyed her outing and pre-birthday celebration. 

A Memorable Day at The Museum

By: Jessica Bahny
NCC Activites Assistant

Well, the holiday season is officially behind us.  We’re into the New Year, and looking ahead to spring!  Technically, life is supposed to “slow down” a little bit for us all after that big holiday rush- not in the activity department!  We’re just as busy as ever!  This post, I really want to share some of the fantastic outings we’ve been doing here at NCC.  With the cooler weather, we’re pretty much restricted to indoor outings.  Sure, we love going to the park, fishing, the zoo and all of that good stuff- but when the air gets cold where can you go?  MUSEUMS!!!! 

I’m always amazed at the treasures we have in our own back yard- like the Henry Ford Museum.  Unfortunately, I think I got a bit “spoiled”.  I was so familiar with the museum that I began to take it for granted.  All of that changed for me when I spent an afternoon there with Ramiro G., one of my clients.  He had never been to the museum before, and I had never taken a first time tourist to the museum!  Seeing the Henry Ford through the eyes of someone who had never been was a truly remarkable experience.  He had a constant look of awe on his face- looking at the larger than life trains, experiencing the story of automobile history, and taking a walk through the evolution of freedom seemed to have an amazing impact on him.  It was a truly amazing experience for me- and a great bonding activity. 

Speaking of history, did you know that January was Holocaust Remembrance month?  In honor of that horrific ordeal, my co-worker Kari and I took two of our clients to the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills.  I had been before, but again, seeing it through the eyes of my clients made it completely different.  We had a wonderful tour guide who educated us about Jewish culture, religion, and the history of Europe at the time of the war.  While much of the tour was filled with sadness, we left with a sense of triumph and empowerment.  Our guide left us with a valuable piece of advice: If you see someone hurting someone else, it’s everyone’s responsibility to stop the violence.  If you stand and do nothing, you are just as guilty as the person doing the harm.  This brought about a great conversation on the van ride home.  We all felt sad that so many people were hurt, and that there were some who were afraid to help.  Over all, it was a very touching and emotional outing- one that doesn’t happen every week! 

A Call to All

Special Tree is Bringing a River Rouge Elementary School Library Back to Life for Leap Day and hopes to encourage others to make a difference on February 29th.

Children at Ann Visger Preparatory Academy in River Rouge, MI, will have something more to celebrate on Leap Day when the doors to their newly renovated media center officially open, after closing for more than a decade.

The renovation is a “Leap Day” gift from Special Tree who is on a mission to encourage the public at large to use the gift of an extra day to make a difference.  Special Tree is providing the inner-city school with new media center furniture, hundreds of new books, a student reading center, and new interior design elements as part of their LeapDay229.org initiative. The company created the LeapDay229.org website, where people post their Leap Day plans to let others know about all the big and small ways to make a difference on Leap Day.

CEO Joe Richert was inspired to create LeapDay229.org after finding an old note he’d written to himself about putting the gift of an extra day to good use. “Leap Day 229.org fits in with Special Tree’s long-standing commitment to give back to the community, so we’re using our resources to make that happen in a much bigger way,” he said. “We’re asking everyone to participate and to help spread the word.”

Before the renovation

Special Tree began the media center renovation in early January and plans are in the works for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Leap Day celebration on February 29th. “The school embraced Special Tree from the start and have been an important part of the project team,” said CEO Joe Richert. “I’m impressed with the leadership at Ann Visger and how they’ve used their limited resources to do what they can to improve the school.”  Ann Visger Principal Joe Emery, Jr. adds, “"We are truly blessed to be associated with Special Tree,” he said. “The media center renovation is another sign of the overall rebirth of the River Rouge School District." 

Project is now in full swing!

Many of Special Tree’s clients, who are in recovery from a brain injury, are helping with the renovation through Special Tree’s vocational rehabilitation programs. Clients are refinishing the existing book shelves, are making colorful ceramic tiles for a mural in the company’s in-house art studio, and have sorted and entered the new books into a new database for the media center. “We’re very proud of our clients,” said Mr. Richert. “Recovering from a brain injury is hard work, yet our clients are finding energy to give back.”

According to Special Tree’s Community Services Director, Joe Richert, II who is overseeing the media center renovation, word of the Leap Day project at Ann Visger is spreading quickly throughout the small downriver community. “Everyone in the community is so excited about the project that community leaders are now talking about turning Leap Day into an official day of community service,” he said. “That’s the heart of what LeapDay229.org is about, showing people you care and making things happen for them in meaningful ways.”

Back on the WJLB Airwaves

Kevin with Dr. Derius & Big Dog Blast

When Kevin walks into a room everyone notices. His smooth voice and warm asking, ‘What’ss up?’ let’s everyone know he’s there.

As an on-air personality for Detroit’s WJLB FM 98, he won many metro-Detroiters over with his electrifying presence. Following a life-altering accident Kevin came to Special Tree Rehab where, no surprise, he’s doing the same.

Kevin arrived at Special Tree’s Chesley house in mid November. In just a short time he’s brought new life into the house and has made tremendous progress in his rehabilitation. Chesley  Residential Manager Kim Townsend calls Kevin “the model client.” And explains that he’s always up and ready for therapy, works hard while there, and never misses a session. She believes Kevin understands that he must work hard in order to reach his long-term goals.



Kevin & RST Haleem



Like many clients, Kevin’s long term goal is to return to work and to be at home with his family. And because of his good work, he’s well on his way. Recently, he made a guest appearance on his former time slot on WJLB.  Kevin shared insights on brain injury with his listeners and colleagues, bringing new light to his former show. Metro Detroit responded so positively that the station is welcoming him back this coming weekend. As for his goal of returning home to continue his active role as husband and father, Kevin has even more encouragement. He and his wife recently welcomed a new baby girl into the world. Kevin’s path to recovery continues until he can return to his two passions in life: radio and his family.