For the first time in nearly three months, Bryan Hooyman was able to go out for dinner and stop by his house last week. It was just a small reward for the huge improvements he has undergone during his recent recovery from an automobile accident.

Bryan, formerly a freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication at Iowa State, was in a car accident outside Marshalltown on Nov. 5, 2002. It left him in a coma and recovering from at least a dozen small hemorrhages throughout his brain.

“It’s like he’s turned a corner,” said Bryan’s mother, Deb Hooyman. “It was like a light bulb went on, and he really started making some big improvements.”

Bryan’s attitude has been the most important change, she said. Until last Saturday Bryan didn’t have the desire to get out of bed. All he wanted to do was sleep. Now, Bryan understands he has to work hard if he wants to be able to go home permanently, Deb said.

Until his recent improvements, it was unclear whether Bryan would be allowed to return home after he is released from the hospital, or if he would have to be transferred to an assisted living facility.

Now, his family is looking forward to his return home, which they hope will come within the next month.

“It was very draining, emotionally and physically, but this week it feels like a burden has been lifted,” Deb said.

After spending two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit of Des Moines’ Iowa Methodist Hospital and another two weeks at the trauma center, Bryan was moved to Covenant Hospital in Waterloo.

Deb said Bryan’s day includes a lot of therapy. In physical therapy Bryan works on walking, balance, coordination and range of motion. He also has speech therapy, in which he works to improve his short-term memory and cognitive abilities.

“All those muscles have to be re-taught how to work, just like an infant,” Deb said.

One of the largest obstacles for Bryan has been his loss of memory. His long-term memory is slowly coming back together, although he doesn’t remember anything about the accident, Deb said.

“It is common for people [who have been in car accidents] to have temporary memory loss,” said Anne Cleary, assistant professor of psychology.

There is often a window of time before and after a car accident that the patient will not be able to remember, Cleary said.

Bryan has sporadic memories, many times remembering more general facts and needing help to remember the smaller details, such as names, Deb said. His short-term memory has progressed to the point he can recall events from the previous day.

One method to aid in short-term memory recall is to make the information meaningful or create a personal relevance, Cleary said.

“People tend to remember best the things that have meaning to them,” Cleary said.

Bryan attended Iowa State for the summer 2002 session and began classes last fall. The accident forced him to medically withdraw. His ambitions were in journalism and mass communication, specifically sports broadcasting.

Returning to school may be in Bryan’s distant future but for now the Hooymans are concerned with his recovery. Deb is able to spend the majority of her days with Bryan while his father, Joe, and brother, Andrew, try to visit daily, even if only for a few minutes.

Bryan wants to see friends and socialize now, Deb said. “He looks forward to [having visitors], he really does,” she said.

The Hooyman family has created a Web site, http://caring bridge.org/ia/bhooy, where updates on Bryan’s condition are posted. Friends are also encouraged to visit, e-mail Bryan at [email protected], call or visit at Covenant Hospital in Waterloo.