Milwaukee man rebuilds life after traumatic brain injury
Cornelius “Corn” Turner had always been in motion. At 49, he worked full-time at Charter Steel, rode motorcycles and ATVs for thrill, and laced up roller skates for fun. Sundays were sacred—spent watching his favorite show, “Baddies,” and cooking wraps stuffed with steak, shrimp and chicken for his family. His world revolved around his mom, Shirley, and his two sons, Dontray and Cornelius Jr.
Then came the crash.
Emergency responders found Corn unconscious after a motorcycle accident and rushed him to Froedtert Hospital. Surgeons opened his skull to relieve pressure from a subdural hematoma—a life-threatening bleed—and repaired a shattered right arm. He emerged from surgery alive but silent, unable to breathe, speak or eat on his own. A tracheostomy—a surgical opening in the neck—kept him breathing. A feeding tube delivered nutrition. His family waited and watched.
After nearly a month in the intensive care unit, Corn stabilized but still needed 24/7 care. He transitioned to Select Specialty Hospital – Milwaukee St. Francis, where a physician-led, multidisciplinary team created a plan tailored to his recovery needs.
Nurses managed Corn’s medications, monitored his overall health and comforted him while therapists focused on his daily progress.
Making Progress
The first challenge was breathing. Corn arrived tethered to an aerosol trach collar, a device that delivers humidified oxygen through the tracheostomy tube to keep his airway moist and help him breathe comfortably. Within the first few days, respiratory therapists introduced a Passy-Muir valve—a small device that lets patients speak while breathing through the trach.
At first, minutes felt like marathons. Then came hours. By the end of the first week, Corn was fully capped, meaning the trach was closed to test his airway strength. Two days later, the trach was removed. In just over a week, Corn was able to breathe independently.
Speech therapy began almost immediately. Within three days of admission, therapists performed a bedside swallow evaluation and cleared him to start eating regular foods and thin liquids. The feeding tube came out shortly after—less than a week into his stay. For a man who loved cooking, tasting food again was more than nourishment; it was a promise of normalcy.
“He just wanted to get back on his feet, eat again and use his voice,” his mother said.
But words were harder. Corn faced severe expressive aphasia, a condition that makes it difficult to speak or write even though a person knows what they want to say. Corn could understand what others said, but forming words and sentences was a struggle. During the second week, therapists drilled functional phrases like “hello” and “thank you,” counting exercises, and sequencing days of the week. They practiced memory recall—his name, address, personal details—building language piece by piece.
Slowly, Corn’s voice returned—first greetings, then simple requests. His family remembers the moment vividly.
“That was when we truly realized he was making progress,” his sister Robyn said. “Corn loves to talk and connect with people. Hearing his voice brought hope and reminded us of the strong person he’s always been.”
Physical therapy pushed his body forward. On admission, Corn could barely walk six feet, unsteady and unsure. Therapists guided him through sit-to-stand drills, sliding his heels along the bed to bend his knees for flexibility, and tightening thigh muscles to build strength. Lower extremity exercises with resistance bands and ankle weights improved endurance. By the end of his stay—about two weeks later—Corn was walking more than 100 feet with a four-footed cane, posture straighter, steps surer.
Occupational therapy focused on independence. With his right arm restricted, Corn learned one-handed dressing techniques and practiced grooming tasks at a tabletop for balance. Cognitive retraining—sequencing routines, using visual cues for problem-solving, and memory strategies—helped him regain control of daily life.
“Everyone here went above and beyond,” Shirley said. “They didn’t just treat Corn—they supported us and kept us involved every day.”
Looking Ahead
Corn left for inpatient rehabilitation stronger, speaking, eating and walking. His goals were clear: to keep building strength, sharpen his speech and return to the life he loves. He’s grateful for the milestones he achieved at Select Specialty Hospital: breathing on his own in just over a week, tasting food again within days and walking across a room by the end of his stay.
“We’re just grateful,” his mother said. “Grateful for the care, the kindness and the hope everyone gave us.”