Gavin Hyde

My name is Gavin Hyde. In 2018, I had a near fatal car accident and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. I ruptured my spleen and broke everything in my face except for my lower jaw. The closest trauma 1 center was University of Virginia Hospital. I was taken there, put into a medically induced coma and they did a partial splenectomy, I needed 4.5 pints of blood immediately. On day 7, they cut from ear to ear across the top of my head, they had to peeled the front of my face forward and the back part back in order to place 8 plates and 32 screws to reconstruct my face.

My journey brought to the Tampa VA where they specialize in brain and spinal cord injury. There I met my SLP who helped me form this poem after 4 years of having met her. The phrase “Every day, a little better” comes from my mom who would say this to me daily. We would take turns saying half of the saying, and then it became a part of my life forever.

Every day, a little better!

To some, it’s a simple phrase

To me, it’s a way of life

It’s a lifestyle change

To some, adapting to change doesn’t take much

But for me it does

Every Day a Little Better

It’s a constant reminder that  I am not near the end

It’s a constant reminder that improvements happen every day

And that’s what makes everyday a GREAT day

Because every day, a little better……..

-Gavin Hyde
8-29-22