Michelle Braley

Like, we need to talk to her about so many things. All of us for different reasons. And she had just kind of disappeared. And then I think I remember one day, and I can't remember exactly, we found out that she had been on the Today Show or Good Morning America. It was either Today Show or Good Morning America talking about Jake. And we thought, wow, that's interesting.

Like, we need to talk to her about so many things. All of us for different reasons. And she had just kind of disappeared. And then I think I remember one day, and I can't remember exactly, we found out that she had been on the Today Show or Good Morning America. It was either Today Show or Good Morning America talking about Jake. And we thought, wow, that's interesting.

We're here trying to like do the thing with you. So it was just a strange, we never really, we never quite knew what was going on.

We're here trying to like do the thing with you. So it was just a strange, we never really, we never quite knew what was going on.

I feel like we got very close very quickly because there was something about him and about his story that spoke to me. And that I thought, you know, this we've got we've got to do something like he's got to get better. He can't live his life like this. Like, I can't sleep at night if he's living his life like this.

I feel like we got very close very quickly because there was something about him and about his story that spoke to me. And that I thought, you know, this we've got we've got to do something like he's got to get better. He can't live his life like this. Like, I can't sleep at night if he's living his life like this.

And so I was super involved and was trying to think of any way to make things better. And then he was also really vulnerable and transparent in, I think, a very productive way. You know, he was struggling. I can't even—he was struggling with the fact that he had guilt that it was his addiction that brought him here.

And so I was super involved and was trying to think of any way to make things better. And then he was also really vulnerable and transparent in, I think, a very productive way. You know, he was struggling. I can't even—he was struggling with the fact that he had guilt that it was his addiction that brought him here.

He had an incredible amount of guilt about what he had done to Elle, his wife, and their relationship. He had an incredible amount of fear. You know, am I going to have to live my whole life like this, like stuck in my body in this intense pain? Part of the therapy was communicating and I'm not going to dictate what you want to communicate. You tell me what do you want to communicate about?

He had an incredible amount of guilt about what he had done to Elle, his wife, and their relationship. He had an incredible amount of fear. You know, am I going to have to live my whole life like this, like stuck in my body in this intense pain? Part of the therapy was communicating and I'm not going to dictate what you want to communicate. You tell me what do you want to communicate about?

And so he would ask me these questions or he would we would have these conversations where he would talk to me about his addiction issues and and the guilt that he had about that. And so I would say every conversation was kind of a deep conversation. I remember trying to like try to lighten it up because Jake was a chef. And so I would say, why don't you just talk to me about like cooking?

And so he would ask me these questions or he would we would have these conversations where he would talk to me about his addiction issues and and the guilt that he had about that. And so I would say every conversation was kind of a deep conversation. I remember trying to like try to lighten it up because Jake was a chef. And so I would say, why don't you just talk to me about like cooking?

I'm trying to become a better. What should I what should I make for dinner tonight? And how would you do it? Like where chicken parm? How do I make chicken parm? Just things like that where it would be that you teach me something. We would talk about that. We would talk a little bit about his life. I knew that he had lost his mom, but I didn't know the details.

I'm trying to become a better. What should I what should I make for dinner tonight? And how would you do it? Like where chicken parm? How do I make chicken parm? Just things like that where it would be that you teach me something. We would talk about that. We would talk a little bit about his life. I knew that he had lost his mom, but I didn't know the details.

So we would talk about his history, that. But a lot of times it was like the present. You know, I'm in pain. I feel horrible. I've destroyed my marriage. I've destroyed my life. And so we would kind of have those conversations. And I would also defer to our neuropsychologist as well, who could have like more kind of detailed counseling conversations as well.

So we would talk about his history, that. But a lot of times it was like the present. You know, I'm in pain. I feel horrible. I've destroyed my marriage. I've destroyed my life. And so we would kind of have those conversations. And I would also defer to our neuropsychologist as well, who could have like more kind of detailed counseling conversations as well.

From the minute I met Jake in the hospital to our relationship today, nothing has changed. He's exactly who he was. And I feel like he was able to do that because he was so authentically himself, even in like the worst moments of his life when he's in terrible pain, physical and mental, and scared and frustrated and, you know, like... Like what? What?

From the minute I met Jake in the hospital to our relationship today, nothing has changed. He's exactly who he was. And I feel like he was able to do that because he was so authentically himself, even in like the worst moments of his life when he's in terrible pain, physical and mental, and scared and frustrated and, you know, like... Like what? What?

communication is so vital and it's so it's like with in his case in that situation was a limited resource and so like what he chose to tell me I was that says a lot about who you are you know so I appreciated his sense of humor like he's a little sarcastic there's a little he's a little dark sense of humor sometimes but he's also like optimistic and hopeful and and and he perseveres and that all came out in these conversations

communication is so vital and it's so it's like with in his case in that situation was a limited resource and so like what he chose to tell me I was that says a lot about who you are you know so I appreciated his sense of humor like he's a little sarcastic there's a little he's a little dark sense of humor sometimes but he's also like optimistic and hopeful and and and he perseveres and that all came out in these conversations