Local nonprofit opens more centers for traumatic brain injuries

East Quogue residents Allyson Scerri and her husband Stephen, who is also the superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Center Moriches, started their New Beginnings nonprofit back in 2007, as a center to help those battling traumatic brain injuries.

Unfortunately, TBIs are not unfamiliar in Allyson’s family: her mother died from one after a car accident in 1991 and her father suffered a TBI after a serious motorcycle accident in Florida.

“He was in a coma seven weeks and hospitalized 16 weeks. They really didn’t think he was going to make it,” she said, also noting how difficult it was to adapt to life after bringing him back home with her. “It was so hard; we tried over 60 nurses. It was so difficult as he was healing.”

At that point, she wished there was one place for healing. And so, without any medical training, as a former hairdresser, she decided to officially open the center after receiving a call that her father was being wheeled in for brain surgery.
Now, as the founder, CEO, and president of New Beginnings Community Center for Brain Injury, she recently opened two more locations for TBI housing in Wading River. Both locations celebrated their ribbon cuttings in December of last year.

“I am beyond proud of my wife for devoting her time and life to help people with disabilities,” said her husband Steve, who is now the executive vice president of the nonprofit. Board members also include Kate DiMeglio and Tom Archer.

The original locations are an outpatient facility in Medford, which opened in 2013, and the Brendan House, a residential facility in Riverhead for those learning to live with TBI, offering 24-hour care supported by Bayada and All Metro Health Care.

The new locations in Wading River include the center named in honor of her father, who died in 2015: The Alfred Francis Barone Residence and Amber Haven, at 2463 North Wading River Road.

Both Brendan House and Amber Haven are residential homes for disabled people to find hope, while the Alfred Francis residence is both an in-patient facility where rehabilitation, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy will be offered. The third building, Linda Jean Residence, named after her mother, is focused on palliative care.

“We see a lot of very young patients,” she added, noting patients are mostly in their 30s after suffering from car and motorcycle accidents. “At New Beginnings, we go beyond providing basic medical attention.”

Each resident receives 24-hour, one-on-one care, tailored to their specific needs. In addition to round-the-clock medical support, they also offer on-site rehabilitation services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

The nonprofit relies on fundraisers to continue the work they do. They are currently looking for donations to support the three new houses. The next big fundraising event will be their 16th annual Al Barone Golf Outing and Gala.

The event will be held on Monday, June 2 at The West Hampton Beach Country Club with a “Glitz, Glam and Glory, Red, White and Blue” theme. Register online at: https://nbli.org/events/. There are sponsorship opportunities available.

“This is my promise to every family who has ever needed New Beginnings: You are never alone,” Allyson said. “Together, we will walk a path of compassion, strength, and love.”