Jen Schuringa, our life-of-the party daughter, sister, and friend had a life-changing car accident in 2013, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Jen’s injury impacted communication between brain & body; she is not able to speak or move at will. However, her memory and processing remains intact, and though she is “locked-in”, she can communicate via blinks. Despite her injury, Jen is rebuilding her body and capabilities through rehabilitation. She has had a roller-coaster journey on her path to recovery, and has rallied her community and brings joy and motivation to everyone who meets her.

Ten years later, Jen’s next big step is to complete a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago; an opportunity to break free from confinement in her home in Oakville, Canada. Jen will cross the Camino in the North of Spain, and her focus will be on introspection, reflection and building community. It’s also an opportunity to push Jen out of her comfort zone and put her hard-earned biking and physical fitness skills to the test. She will make this journey with a team of about fifteen people - J’s Crew!

Jen and her family are also working on a long-term effort to:

1. Take our lessons learned on brain injuries and rehabilitation to help build a community and spread awareness, and

2. Leverage this knowledge to create a local TBI rehab facility in the Oakville / Toronto area with centralized and integrated therapy resources.

Jen is an incredibly driven young woman and continues to improve her capabilities every year. Stay tuned as her journey continues!