In a testament to the indomitable spirit of resilience and determination, local firefighter, Jacob Garcia, emerged victorious from a challenging ordeal after successfully completing treatment at New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital.

Jacob has served as a firefighter with the Canyon Lake Fire Department for the last six years. He’s a loving husband and stepfather, finding strength in the unwavering support of his family.

This past spring, Jacob responded to a structure fire in a home. While fighting the fire, the roof caved in and part of the structure fell on him. He suffered neck and leg injuries, along a brachial plexus injury to the nerves that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, and hand. This caused paresthesia (an abnormal sensation) to his left arm. He was immediately transported to the trauma center at Seton Hays Medical Center in Kyle.

As soon as Jacob regained consciousness, he made a request to the acute care hospital as well as his Workers’ Compensation Company to be transferred to New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (NBRRH) for inpatient rehabilitation. “I instantly knew I needed to get to NBRRH for aggressive therapy,” Jacob said. Jacob knew how important therapy would be in his recovery because he had a family member who had been a patient at New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital previously.

When Jacob came to NBRRH, he had to relearn how to perform daily living tasks with his newly acquired injuries. In collaboration with his therapy team, they identified specific goals that would help him re-enter the community and serve as indicators for his future success.

 “Therapy pushed me every day,” Jacob said. “Even on days I was feeling low, the therapists were encouraging and supportive.”

When Jacob left the hospital, he was able to use a platform walker. Through continued treatment at the hospital’s outpatient therapy program, he now can walk independently. He’s also back to driving and began martial arts again, which is a passion of his. He continues to work on functional strength training by mimicking tasks he would do normally as a firefighter.

With gratitude in his heart for the support he received, Jacob attributes his recovery to the skilled medical professionals at NBRRH, his loving family, and the resilient spirit of the New Braunfels community. He not only reclaimed his life, but his strength and perseverance has been an inspiration to others.

Jacob’s goal is to return to firefighting.