Support Ethan Aben's Journey to Recovery

Would you ever imagine your life changing by something out of your control? I never did - until it happened to me. I am writing this to share my story and hopefully motivate and inspire those who need it. I'm hoping you'll take the time to read all the hardships that I was able to overcome.

My name is Ethan Aben and I am 27 years old. Unfortunately, I suffered a brain injury when I was younger. I was 13 years old; riding my bike crossing the street (I had right of way to cross) and the car was trying to beat a yellow left-hand turn and the car collided with me. I was not wearing a helmet, I went up in the air 15+ feet, did a few flips, and landed directly on the back of my brain. All I remember was the distinct smell of blood pooling on the pavement to the side of the road. I was rushed to the hospital and luckily nothing was broken. However, I was left with Cerebellar Ataxia, which is issues with your gait - walking, talking, balance, etc. Having Ataxia was a struggle but I was able to push through and I made it to high school with good grades.

The beginning of high school was going well up until my Mom got offered a job in a small town in Texas, so I went with her; leaving all my childhood friends behind and my confidence. I ended up in Sulphur Springs High School where my condition started to progress. I developed Essential Tremor (involuntary shaking). Needless to say, my high school experience was HORRIBLE. I did everything in my power to get out of there as soon as possible. I begged my Mom to enroll me in independent study because I had such bad anxiety throughout high school. Eventually, she agreed and I was enrolled into independent study and graduated high school two semesters early.

It was a huge accomplishment for me. I graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA. The good thing about my condition is that I was only affected physically; not mentally whatsoever. The very first thing I did after graduation was undergo Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). The DBS was working very well for my tremors - not so much my gait. My speech was still very slow and slurred, I was unable to walk straight nor was I able to run. Things were going well for me for a few years then my body started to mature and I went in for a second operation in 2023.

The most recent procedure really did wonders. My speech is much more fluid, as you can see in the video attached. I was able to run or the first time in over half my life and my walking became "normal." If you randomly saw me walking down the street, odds are you wouldn't notice anything of me unless I was doing something that would cause my tremors, such as holding a phone for FaceTime or holding a drink in my hand.

The reason why I am making a GoFundMe is because it is very challenging for me to hold a job. If you made it this far - thank you so much for reading my story and I hope that you were inspired in any type of way. Any support would be very appreciated!

P.S. Always remember to live your best life while you can and if you're feeling down, just know there's always going to be someone in a worse off position. Your kindness and compassion can make all the difference.

Also, I am really into drawing. You can check out some of my art on x.com/ogkushwaffles; I would have you send me an existing photo & I will digitize it (all my artwork are hand drawn using an iPad and Apple Pencil).

- looks really great printed on canvas or even just in a picture frame

-creative idea as a gift for a loved one, significant other, or as a friend’s birthday gift

- very quick turnaround time

Here are some of my personal favorite drawings I've done: