Gerald Hanks
A Houston man who reportedly fell through his attic is fighting to regain a normal life after sustaining several devastating injuries.
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On Thanksgiving weekend, Brian Lepori went to his attic to install the wiring for a new television he received as an early Christmas present.
His wife Maura said she stepped out to run errands, leaving Brian with the couple’s three young children.
As he crawled through the attic, the ceiling gave way and Lepori reportedly fell to the floor in front of his children.
“They were here, saw daddy fall and they ran to the neighbors and got help,” Maura Lepori said in an interview with a local TV station. “They probably saved daddy’s life, really.”
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When the neighbors called Maura to let her know about the accident, the family’s matriarch said she rushed home, where she found Brian on the floor in pain.
“He was just screaming, ‘help me, help me.’ I remember my biggest feeling was I’m no comfort to him, and that was terrifying to me,” she said further.
A call to 911 brought a medical helicopter to the scene; the helicopter transported Brian to Memorial Hermann Hospital’s shock trauma unit, where doctors reportedly diagnosed Brian with five broken ribs and a traumatic brain injury.
Reports show Brian received treatment in the hospital’s intensive care unit for several days.
After he regained consciousness, his memories of Maura and their family reportedly slowly started to come back; he underwent physical and psychological therapy at the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) at Memorial Hermann, where his family said he slowly learned to walk and talk again.
Brian’s doctors said his prognosis looks promising, but he is facing a long road to recovery, given many traumatic brain injury patients suffer from permanent damage.
The final results of Brian’s recovery may not be known for some time.
Although he does have health insurance, the bills for Brian’s recovery are building, prompting friends to start a GoFundMe page to help with the family’s financial situation.
Hang in there, Brian. Houston is rooting for you.
