Recently, Saturday Night Live viewers were able to see actor and comedian Tracy Morgan’s first extensive televised appearance since a terrible auto accident caused him serious injuries in 2014. Morgan’s performance is a testament to two things: one, that it is possible to recover from brain trauma and other common car accident injuries. And two, it is often a long, hard road to recovery.
As readers may recall, Morgan was riding in a limousine with three other people when they were hit by a Walmart tractor-trailer. The crash killed one man, a close friend of Morgan’s, and gave Morgan a serious brain injury, along with numerous broken bones.
Morgan was in a coma for several days and did not make any public appearances until about a year later when he went on NBC’s “Today” show to discuss the accident. At that time, he said he was still experiencing the effects of the crash, including memory problems, headaches, and nosebleeds.Still, Morgan appears to be returning to work, beginning with hosting the Oct. 17 episode of SNL. As WPIX-TV reports, he came out on stage to a standing ovation, and joked about his injuries, easing concerns that he was not yet ready to go back to entertaining. Later, Morgan announced an extensive stand-up comedy tour on social media.
No doubt, Morgan’s recovery is due in large part to a great deal of hard work on his part rehabilitating himself. Physical and occupational therapy can be grueling, tiring, and frustrating, and recovery does not happen overnight. Many times, the victim of a car accident never fully recovers and must adjust to a new reality.
