Jaelen Steen: Walking Into a Second Chance

In the early morning hours of Easter 2025, Jaelen Steen’s life changed in an instant. What started as a night out with friends ended with a gunshot wound to the head. Jaelen remembers drifting in and out of consciousness, knowing he had been shot, and realizing for the first time the weight of choices and influences around him. Within minutes, an ambulance arrived, and surgeons worked quickly to remove the bullet and place a metal plate in his skull. He spent a week in a medically induced coma. When he woke, his world had shifted. He was paralyzed on both sides of his body.

For months, walking wasn’t just difficult—it was impossible. After two months in the hospital and inpatient rehabilitation at Riley Hospital for Children, he was discharged, still heavily reliant on a wheelchair and walker.  His mother, Jazmyn, recalls, “It’s all still a blur,” remembering the day doctors said the words, “shot in the head.”

Caring for others is what Jazmyn does every day; professionally as a CNA through Guided Hearts HomeCare, and personally as a mother of four. So, she did what she always does: she showed up, cared for him, built a team of family and friends, and saw him through week after week. But just weeks before Jaelen’s injury, Jazmyn had begun caring for a new client, Rhonda Levin, who had started receiving services at the DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center Powered by NeuroHope.  At the time, she had no idea how closely her personal and professional worlds would soon intertwine.

Jaelen began therapy in July 2025, coming every week to continue rebuilding his strength. When he first arrived, he relied heavily on his wheelchair. He could take a few steps, but he wasn’t stable. Long distances and standing for extended periods were out of reach. 

Today, if you walk through the clinic on a therapy day, you might see Jazmyn moving quickly from one place to another. Supporting Rhonda. Checking in on Jaelen. Balancing schedules. Carrying responsibility that most people never see. She is constantly in motion, not because it’s easy, but because her children’s futures depend on it.

And when Jaelen shows up for therapy and sees her at work, he notices and smiles. When he smiles—and he smiles big—you see something stronger than what happened to him. You see resilience.  Jaelen is putting in the work. Gradually, his strength returned, and sensation came back, starting in his feet. Step by step, he stood taller, more grounded, more confident.

About a month ago, Jaelen officially left his wheelchair behind.

Today, he walks the halls of his new high school. He still works through weakness in his arm, but his progress—both physically and mentally—has been remarkable. Already, he’s earned two college credits as a 10th grader and is exploring barber school. His dream is simple: to get “as normal as possible.” To stand all day cutting hair. To play basketball for fun. To have family and friends he can trust. To live fully.

Recovery isn’t just about relearning to walk. It’s about rebuilding trust, confidence, and belief. Jazmyn once said she “didn’t know it would be this hard.” But she never stopped showing up, proving that behind every step is family who never stopped believing.  At NeuroHope, we are honored to witness not just Jaelen’s resilience, but the power of hope in action. Healing isn’t always about movement. It’s about restoring independence, rebuilding confidence, and reminding young people like Jaelen that their story isn’t over.

Less than a year later, he is walking proof of that.