LI Woman Who Lost 2 Parents To Traumatic Brain Injury 'Changing Lives'

WADING RIVER, NY — From the darkest of tragedies, hope was born: Allyson Scerri, who, in a heartbreaking twist of fate, lost both her parents to traumatic brain injuries at different times, has devoted her life to helping others navigate that new and unfamiliar terrain.

Allyson Scerri, the founder of New Beginnings, an outpatient facility in Medford and the Brendan House, a residential facility in Riverhead for those learning to live with TBI, is a familiar face on the local Long Island canvas, an indomitable force for good.

This week, Scerri, who lives in East Quogue, announced that she would be breathing new life into her mission, opening two new centers in Wading River at Little Flower, which recently closed its adult residential programs on Long Island.

In total, Scerri said she will be transforming space in three buildings at the Little Flower campus: The first, Amber Haven, located at 2463 North Wading River Road, will be "the second Brendan House," Scerri said — a residential home where disabled individuals can find hope.

The second building will be called the New Beginnings Alfred Francis residence — an in-patient facility where rehabilitation, physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy will be offered, she said. The third building will be focused on palliative care.

All three businesses are being run by New Beginnings; the second two buildings are on Little Flower's property but a quarter mile apart, Scerri said.

The grand opening for Amber Haven will take place on December 15 from noon to 4 p.m. at 2463 North Wading River Road.

The date has deep meaning for Scerri: December 15 marks the 33rd anniversary of her mother's passing; she died of a traumatic brain injury after a car accident, she said. "This will honor her in a big way," she said.

"My mom was my best friend," she said. "We were inseparable."

Her mother, Scerri said, helped her through a long road with infertility, "every step of the way."

And then came the darkest of days.

"On December 15, we were supposed to see Santa at an event. I was five months' pregnant. I had to go home, because I was so nauseous," she said. "My parents were in a horrific car accident, and my mom died of a traumatic brain injury. She was only 49 years old."

The loss echoed.

"Life was never the same for my family," Scerri said. "I always honor my father because it’s easier. My mom's death is such a deep wound. Her name was Linda, and this week alone I was working with five families with a Linda. My niece Linda’s birthday is this weekend and, she, too, died at a young age."

Rocked by loss, it was inconceivable that Scerri could lose her father, too, to a TBI.

On February 7, 2007, Scerri’s father, Al Barone, was involved in a "horrifying" motorcycle accident in Florida which left him with a traumatic brain injury, she said. Seeing her father, a man of great strength and independence, inadequately cared for was an unacceptable frustration for Scerri, she said.

She relocated her father to New York to oversee his care and find the best TBI solutions for him, she said.

Scerri believed there needed to be a place where others who were struggling to find advanced TBI rehabilitation, management and recovery could get the care and support they deserved. That vision ultimately became the New Beginnings Community Center.

Now, she will dedicate the e second two new buildings in honor of her father, Scerri said.

"I was given a huge gift and the honor of helping so many more survivors. I had a waiting list from the Brendan House. This journey has been the biggest blessing in my life. I made a promise to my dad that his injury was not just for any reason — but that the two of us would change many lives by helping families with the tragedy of injury."

Of her mother, Scerri said, "I miss her beyond words."

She added: "I have spent my life helping others in tragedy in honor of both my parents."

The new journey has been uplifting, Scerri said.

"Working with Little Flower has been wonderful. The perfect collaboration. We are proud that we were offered this opportunity to help so many," she said.

Corinne Hammons, President & CEO of Little Flower, agreed. "We are thrilled to have a partner with a complementary mission as our new tenant."

The moniker for the new facility also carries great meaning for Scerri: The Amber Haven is named after a young woman, Amber Ebanks, 23, who died in the Bronx after undergoing a procedure to repair a vessel in her brain and then having a stroke, Scerri said.

A court battle ensued between the hospital and her family regarding whether or not to keep her alive after she was declared brain dead, ABC7 reported.

"I felt so helpless. I fought in court for her," Scerri said. I couldn’t help Amber but, because of her, I will be able to help others in her situation. Amber changed my life."

And now, as inmates from the Suffolk County Correctional facility work to ready the new buildings, Scerri said she, too, is embarking upon her own new beginning to help others.

"It's so funny — I feel like I have given birth to triplets," she said.