Army Veteran Recovers from TBI with Service Dogs and Spouse

U.S. Army. On Dec. 21, 2014, while traveling in a Humvee between Iraq and Kuwait, the vehicle rolled over and he was thrown 35 to 40 feet. McGibbon suffered fractures to his skull, face, jaw, neck vertebrae C1-C6, right clavicle, and lumbar spine. He also sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and diffuse axonal injury, requiring emergency brain surgery.

He remained in a coma for three months and was told he died seven times. , and spent two and a half years in hospitals through 2017.

McGibbon relearned basic functions including walking, talking, eating, and drinking. He completed more than 5,000 therapy appointments and was discharged from the Army in 2017. He reports ongoing memory loss, speech impediments, reduced sensation throughout his body, and days when neurological symptoms make routine tasks difficult.

McGibbon said he relies on written notes and his wife for daily assistance.

VetDogs provided McGibbon with two service dogs.

Trooper, a black Labrador now retired, and Cody, a golden Labrador mix, assist with mobility, retrieving items, opening doors, and seizure response. McGibbon said the dogs gave him renewed purpose after he became depressed during recovery. He stated that without the dogs he would not be where he is today.

McGibbon met his wife Natalie in 2013.

They married in June 2025. She assists with memory, cooking, and daily tasks because he cannot perform some physical activities. McGibbon said she loves him for who he is now rather than who he was before the injury.

McGibbon speaks publicly about traumatic brain injury to increase understanding. He noted that symptoms can vary daily and that others sometimes underestimate the condition because it is not always visible. More than 430,000 service members have been diagnosed with TBI since 2000, according to the Department of Defense.

America’s VetDogs trains dogs to help veterans and first responders manage symptoms and increase independence.