How a Traumatic Brain Injury Brought Darling ’30 to Arcadia

After spending the last eight years recovering from an accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury, Jamielynn Darling '30 is now majoring in Psychology at Arcadia and is committed to helping others the same way she was helped. Going to college was not Darling's priority, but through her dedication to herself and her studies, the Elizabethtown, Pa., native found her new home at Arcadia.

"College was always something second on my mind. I was so focused on getting through the day that I didn't think about my future too often," Darling said. "[Arcadia] was so beautiful in the pictures, and I felt my heart get all warm and fuzzy, and I knew. Everyone was so nice; it seemed perfect. But I had so much doubt in my mind; I didn't think I was good enough to be here, that I would never be able to heal enough to accomplish my dreams."

In November 2018, at ten years old, Darling was struck by a vehicle, sending her to the hospital for three weeks, including two in the ICU. She spent the next year working with physical and speech therapists.

"We worked together to get my mouth to say the things my brain wanted to say correctly," Darling explained. "My brain had a really hard time getting what I wanted to say out loud; oftentimes I would speak in jumbled sentences, so we spent a lot of time practicing talking slowly to allow myself to think really hard about the words I wanted to say."

Darling's recovery journey weighed heavily on her both physically and emotionally.

"It was so hard for so long," she said. "I remember constantly feeling behind and struggling with things that the other kids did like it was second nature. Alongside the physical side, I have worked alongside my neurologist for my medical and brain needs. She has included me in a way that was never obvious to me. She was always patient and kind, even when I was upset and unkind to her."

The empathy Darling saw throughout her experience helped to inform her goals for the future.

"Being around people working in the psychology departments for years showed me the kindness, empathy, and patience needed," she explained. "I realized helping people was all I ever wanted to do with my life, and what better field to go in than one I have been surrounded by for the past eight years of my life."

Darling got involved in her local community, becoming a mentor for Club Ophelia with Elizabethtown Area Middle School, which provides fifth-grade through middle school-aged girls with the skills to develop healthy relationships and handle forms of bullying. She also started her own club called the Litter Crew, where members pick up trash and post informational flyers about the damage to the environment caused by litter.

"It is always such a joy knowing you're making a real difference in the community," she said. "It gives me faith in what a small group of people can do when they set their minds to something amazing. I've gained a sense of community and, in that, confidence that I'm making the right choices."

Darling's perseverance is reflected in her determination, hard work, and even in her major.

"I worked so hard to be here. I knew this was the place for me," she said. "This is everything I worked towards since my accident finally coming together. Now that I'm here in school, I'm just so incredibly proud of myself, my perseverance, and my trust in myself that I could make it."