Kyle Dudley
Kyle Dudley, 34, was out celebrating his 2003 college graduation. Once he and his friends decided to call it a night, their designated driver began taking them home. Suddenly, their car was t-boned by a drunk driver. The impact caused Dudley’s head to forcefully hit the inside of the car. This resulted in Dudley being in a coma for six weeks and having paralysis in his left arm.
After an extensive stay in the hospital, Dudley went to in-patient rehab where he stayed for one month.
Dudley then worked to recover in therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City (RIKC). The therapists helped him as he began to walk again, chew and swallow whole foods, and talk at the same level as he had prior to the accident. He then studied music at a vocational rehabilitation school before coming to the TBI Works Program in the Employment Services Department at RIKC in Feb. 2013.
Music was Dudley’s passion and focus of study before the accident; he still wanted to follow this path. His next step was to find a job in the music field with the TBI Works staff’s help.
After a few months of filling out job applications and participating in mock interviews, TBI Works Program Coordinator Wendell Wallace noticed Rhino Staging and Event Productions, Inc. was hiring, so he showed Employer Development Specialist Jennifer Grant who helped Dudley pursue this opening. Within a week of giving the company his application, Dudley was hired! He began work in June and is thrilled to be working with what he loves.
“Finding the job was the goal of the entire process,” Dudley said. “The help and effort everyone put into helping me at RIKC was equally important.”
Arnell Walker
Arnell Walker, 41, spent each day taking care of her five children, working and running errands. On December 2006, though, something happened that would drastically change her routine and life.
While at a family function in Kansas City, Walker was the victim of a drive-by shooting. She was in a coma for two weeks and remained hospitalized three months, during which time Walker experienced two strokes that further impacted her body. Of the many challenges she faced, including learning to walk again, Walker was left with a speech impediment, an inability to read and a lengthy gap of unemployment due to her extensive recovery period.
Walker received extensive rehab services and diligently worked on her own to regain abilities to walk, communicate, cook and take care of her two youngest children.
In 2012, the Missouri Department of Vocational Rehabilitation referred Walker to the TBI Works Program of RIKC's Employment Services Department. The TBI Works staff soon realized what an extraordinary person Walker is. She has a contagious smile and a strong faith. She exercises a strong work ethic and is quick to learn new skills.
"She's just amazingly positive and has this great attitude," said Jennifer Grant, Employer Development Specialist at RIKC.
It's little wonder that when Walker was introduced to representatives of the Human Resources Department at The Intercontinental Hotel KC, a second interview was immediately offered. She was hired the following day, even though the position she applied for was not currently open. Walker enjoys working with great coworkers in a luxurious atmosphere, and her employers appreciate her positive attitude and hard work, making this a win-win for both employee and employer.
Walker's success story is a shining example of the team effort of the TBI Works Program in RIKC's Employment Services Department. Her strength plus the expertise of the program can both be contributed to her success!
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