As a vibrant and charismatic 19-year-old College freshman, Michael is one of those few standout people who made friends, worked hard at all that he attempted, loved life and enjoyed what it has to offer. Born and raised in Addison, Illinois, a suburb just west of Chicago, Mike and his older brother, Nick, have developed strong friendships. Michael is an enthusiastic sports fan and top-notch athlete. His parents, Pete and Debbie, are loving and devoted parents, that taught Michael the values of being loyal, caring, family oriented and dedicated. 

During his summer break from Illinois State University, Michael's life tragically changed. While riding home from work with a friend, an unexplainable auto accident occured on July 8, 2009 at 3:37 p.m on the southbound Route 83 between Washington Street and Riverside Drive. An SUV and a mini van collided and ever since, it left Michael clinging to life and suffering from traumatic brain injury. Throughout a long and arduous process, Michael has continued to improve and his recovery has suprised even his doctors, but he has a long road ahead of him. It's hard to imagine the ordeal that his family is living through day to day. Hope and faith are the only things that have kept the DeStefanos going when there are no medical answers to their many questions. 

I have taken part in documenting the DeStefano family and want to bring new awareness to traumatic brain injuries. Not just with Michael, but to all that can relate to this as well. I want people to see that you can take a bad situation and still have hope for things to get better. The overall goal of the documentary is to provide advocacy for families who have suffered many hardships as a result of a family memeber who has traumatic brain injuries. It has also been my pleasure to bring that awareness to readers.