One of them was a teenager at Miramonte High School in Orinda, the other a principal dancer at Diablo Ballet. Out of the blue, a traumatic event knocked each off his path and threatened to change their lives forever.

Sixteen-year old Brian Gee was struck in the head by a baseball. Ballet dancer Eddie Stegge was mugged and beaten by two teenagers who left him unconscious and near death with a fractured skull on a street in Concord.

While we thank the staff at John Muir for your medical and technical skills, we most want to thank you for your caring and humanity – the hugs, encouragement, and kind, hopeful words.
– Brian’s mom, Darlene

Both received treatment at John Muir Health, where a coordinated effort by neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, rehabilitation therapists, and many more in our Brain Injury Program put them on the road to recovery and a return to their normal lives.

After nine weeks of medical treatment and inpatient rehabilitation services, Brian went home. He received outpatient rehabilitation, and used his summer to diligently make up the lessons that he missed his sophomore year because of his injury. Brian returned to high school in the fall full-time. After graduating high school, he attended UC Berkeley to study economics.

Four months after being mugged, Eddie returned to dancing full-time with the Diablo Ballet.

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