How It All Began

My name is Brook Wilson and I am the founder and proud owner of Room to Bloom, LLC.

I would love to share my story with you and how we got our name.

At just 6 years old and a “Tomboy” at heart, I enjoyed nothing more than riding dirt bikes with my brother and jumping the hills on our family’s land. Soon that all ended with a tragic accident that crushed my left leg and broke my right arm. Doctors told my parents that there was nothing that they could do, and I would eventually lose my left leg. This is when we turned to Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, SC. Both my father and grandfather were Shriner’s and was able to get me referred in for evaluation. Once evaluated and accepted, multiple surgeries were scheduled and completed over the years until I turned 18 years old.

As the years went by, I ended up having more than 15 surgeries on my left leg. One of those surgeries changed my life forever. I was the 1st patient with Shriner’s and in the US to undergo a leg lengthening procedure where they would place a device called an “External Fixator” on my femur and lengthen my left leg 5 inches. Due to me being the 1st patient to receive this treatment, I had to stay at Shriner’s for one year. I was only allowed to come home on the weekends and had to be back by 5pm on Sunday evenings. You are probably wondering about school? All my classwork was sent to Shriner’s Hospital and I had school just like everyone else received back at home. My parents continued to work 45 minutes away and I did not get to see them much during the weekdays.

Therapy was very intense and some days I would pretend I was sick or did not feel well just to avoid going. I mean, let me be honest…Physical Therapy was no joke when you had a device on your leg like I did. I can remember screaming and crying until I would make myself sick. However, as I got older and became an Early Interventionist, I realized the importance of physical therapy and why everyone made me go. My Doctors, Nurses, Therapist, Teachers, family, and friends stayed by my side and told me that failure was not an option and even on my worst days I had to keep on pushing through the pain. Everyone who supported and helped me through all the years also made me want to help others.

As an Early Interventionist, my goal is to inspire other children and their families while also letting them know that I believe in them and they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

The road may seem long and the path you must take may be overwhelming, but the end result is the best feeling in the world. No matter the disability, always reach for the stars and never allow anyone to tell you that you cannot do something.

Always remember

Failure is not an option and there is always Room to Bloom.

Click on the link for an article by Greenville News about my story
https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2018/11/18/former-shriners-hospital-patient-draws-experience-help-others/2013995002/