JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute ’s Post

On the morning of April 20, 2022, Malachi knew where he was heading. A 19-year-old college student, he was an entrepreneur with his own sneaker business and a criminology major with a goal of becoming a police officer or detective. But hours later, everything changed. Malachi was struck by a vehicle while changing a tire and suffered multiple broken bones, a collapsed lung, a fractured skull, a traumatic brain injury and a crushed right leg that would be amputated. After six weeks in a coma, he was transferred to the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute brain trauma unit. With unbelievable effort, strength and determination, Malachi was able to recover. As he would be the first to say, there's no need to dwell on it — this is a story about the future. “God put me in this situation. He told me, ‘I know you have the tools, now use them,’” he says. In the years since, he's been using those tools to share his story. Our CEO, Robert C. Garrett, heard one of his moving speeches and knew he could make a huge difference. In that moment, he offered Malachi a job. Today, he works primarily with the students assigned to the cafeteria in JFK JRI's vocational rehabilitation program — the same one he worked in as part of his own journey. In his new role, Malachi empowers the students as much as he teaches them the ins and outs of the job. “I was upfront with them about my disability, so they know I can relate to their challenges,” Malachi says. “When I notice one of them is down, I talk to and listen to them.” It helps him fulfill a new dream: to give back to the team members who helped put him back together.   “They push you to be your greatest self,” he says. “They made me want to impact other people’s lives. They made me want to help someone else in need.”   “I think everyone can benefit from hearing a message about not realizing what you are capable of, no matter the situation you face,” he says. “I intend to live a big life and not a life hampered by a disability. I don’t cry about what I can’t do. I focus on what I can do.” #PeopleofHMH