By Joanna Shalleck-Klein
Staff Writer

After spending 16 days in a coma following his fall from a third-floor stairwell in Clark last November, Josh Goldsmith ’04 has made an almost complete recovery. Although he is currently
in the process of building-up his physical strength, he has no permanent brain damage and plans to resume classes at Wesleyan next fall.

Following his fall of 35 feet head first onto Clark’s concrete floor, Goldsmith had his spleen removed and suffered a fractured pelvis, broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a fractured skull. He
was discharged from the rehabilitation center two weeks ago and is now at home working-out to recuperate from his coma and subsequent month in bed. His only memory loss surrounds
the night of the accident and the week following his emergence from the coma. He is also trying to finish work from his first semester classes.

Goldsmith awoke from his coma on Monday, November 20, a little more than two weeks after his fall on the night of November 4. Soon after regaining consciousness, he was transported
to a Traumatic Brain Injury Unit at a Denver, Colorado hospital, close to his home in Aspen, Colorado, where he learned to reaccess the information in his brain and had physical therapy
to recover from his fall and time in bed.

Out of a wheel chair for about a month now, Goldsmith said he is exhilarated by his recovery. 

"I’m really feeling great. I feel like myself," he said. "I feel 100 percent mentally, but physically I need to get strength back."

Goldsmith’s mother, Beth Goldsmith, marveled at the incredible progress her son has made.

"He’s doing fabulously. He looks great. "He is just a little weak and needs to build up some muscle, but cognitively he is perfect," she said. "It’s all been an amazingly fast recovery."

According to Goldsmith, he did intensive physical therapy in the hospital in Denver. He said that now he works out by riding an exercise bike and walking on a treadmill Monday through
Friday, lifting weights three times a week and taking hikes during the weekends.

During his coma, according to Beth Goldsmith, his body experienced a lot of reflexive movement, which made his muscles tight. After being bedridden for so long, he needs to increase
flexibility and get his muscles working again.

Goldsmith did cognitive therapy while at the Denver hospital to get all of his mental functions back. He did schoolwork while in the rehabilitation center so that the doctors could monitor
for any brain damage and help him regain complete access to the information in his brain.

"The brain made new connections to compensate for any that were destroyed. All of the information is still there, it’s just a matter of retrieval," Beth Goldsmith said.

Anxious to return to Wesleyan and resume life here with his friends and with classes, Goldsmith is doing work independently to finish the classes he started in the fall. His mother has
kept in close contact with administration to help facilitate his return next school year and to keep people informed of her son’s condition.

"I cannot wait to come back to Wesleyan. I wish that I was there right now, but there’s no need to rush it because I need to get my strength back," he said. "I was incredibly happy at
school. I haven’t considered going anywhere else."

Many members of the Wesleyan community have remained in touch with Goldsmith, with some of his friends visiting him in Colorado. Several students and Wesleyan staff members
visited him while he was at the hospital in Hartford before and after his regaining consciousness.

Amy Meyerson ’04, a hall mate of Goldsmith’s, saw him during winter break while he was still in the rehabilitation center in Denver. According to Meyerson, seeing him in person affirmed
for her the incredible recovery Goldsmith has made.

"I knew for the most part how well he was doing, but it was so encouraging to actually see him," Meyerson said. "He obviously went through a lot and has learned a lot, but he’s still the
same person I remember him as."

Dean of the College Freddye Hill, who has kept in contact with Beth Goldsmith since the accident, is thrilled about the progress that Goldsmith has made.

"He has made a miraculous recovery. It was a miracle," Hill said. "I feel a sense of gratitude that he will be able to come back in the fall."

Hill said she believes that the support of family and friends really aided in Goldsmith’s recovery.

"The community rallied around each other in a time of grief," she said. "It showed Wesleyan at its best. The community responded and supported. His recovery is a result of everyone’s
prayers and support."

Goldsmith agrees that the encouragement and dedication of friends and family have been crucial to his recovery.

"Without the support from friends, Wesleyan, my high school and my family, my recovery process would not have gone so well," he said. "I’m not sure that I know the reason why I’m
doing so well, but I’ve had people tell me left and right that I’m here for a reason."

Goldsmith said he feels immense gratitude for his limited injuries. While in the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit, he spent time with people who suffered serious brain damage.

"The only memory that I lost was the night of the injury. The week after I got out of the coma is also a little foggy to me," he said. "But I saw people with conditions so much worse than mine. There was a third year med student in the unit who acted like a five-year-old."

Goldsmith said his goal is to graduate with the class of 2004. He may take classes at a local university during the summer to catch up on credits. He and his mother plan to come to Wesleyan the first weekend of March so that Goldsmith can see his friends and visit school. All agree, his recovery was nothing short of a miracle.