James Wright

“Adrenaline Junkie” Regains Confidence at Goodwill
James Wright went skydiving over 300 times when his last fall landed him in the hospital.  

A self-titled “adrenaline junkie,” James Wright wanted to experience it all.  From rock climbing to flying planes to skydiving.  He loves to feel the rush.  

Now, he misses the rush.  

In 2002, James’s parachute collapsed and left him flailing through the air before he hit the pavement—headfirst.  Suffering from massive brain injuries, James was in a coma for 17 days.

“They thought he might not wake up,” says his mother, Mary Wright.

When he did come out of his coma, James had to start at the beginning.  He was in extensive therapy for one year learning to walk, talk, and eat all over again.  “It was almost like he was a baby again,” says Mary.

But his mom also says James is a miracle.  After his fall, he had a few fractures and missing teeth, but no broken bones.  

Today, James walks, talks, eats, drives, and works—one of the most important.

“Laziness is the root of all evil,” says James. Before his accident, James was the vice president of a bank in Alabama but he didn’t just arrive there easily.  His hard work paid off.  From the time he could look over the wheel of a tractor, he was helping out on the family farm.  At 12 years old, he was working in an uncle’s restaurant.  

Work has always been a constant companion in James’s life but after his accident, James had to look for new employment.  

His short-term memory has been affected.  While it continues to improve, James needs to rely on a small notebook to help him remember everyday occurrences.  The repetitive tasks he’s responsible for at Goodwill make it easier for James to learn his job.  

At first, James’s manager at Goodwill, Toni Bouchard, labeled everything related to his work.  Now, after doing it so many times, James can perform his job easily and without those labels.  

Toni also helps James on a different level.  Suffering from a brain injury when she was a teen, Toni can relate to James’s frustrations.  She is the sounding board that reassures him.  “When he gets upset that he has to use the notebook, I remind him that I had to do it, too,” says Toni.  “And I think many people use a planner or something to help them remember tasks.  I think that makes him feel better.”

James also adds some spice to his Goodwill team.  “He’s a joy to work with.  You never know what he’s going to say next,” says Shirley House, processor.  Being comfortable with his co-workers is an obvious knack for James.  Politeness and the “southern gentlemen” attitude permeate James’s personality.  

His strong work ethic impresses Toni.  “I wish all my employees would have his work ethic,” she says.  When asked where he learned it, James just says it’s always been in him.  

“Work gives me something to strive for, something to be proud of,” he says. As for James, working at Goodwill “gives him something to look forward to.”