Larry Lentz Jr. relishes an opportunity once a week to socialize with others while recovering from a traumatic brain injury he suffered nine years ago.
On Tuesdays, Lentz works at Knights on the Go, which is far from your typical cafe at the University of Central Florida. Above the counter is a harness system that supports adults with mobility impairments. Adults in recovery from a stroke or other traumatic brain injury are strapped into the harness, which provides enough support for them to walk on their own and serve customers of the cafe like any ordinary worker.
Lentz lost his ability to move on his own and to communicate after suffering a stroke at age 39. His mother Ruth, who is also his caretaker, says working in the harness has “helped his endurance and his balance,” while giving him the chance to interact on a social level.
“He’s never felt sorry for himself,” Ruth Lentz said. “He’s always been positive. Knowing that people care and want him to improve really helps keep him going.”
Jennifer Tucker of UCF’s physical therapy program, which oversees the operation of the cafe, described Lentz Jr. as resilient.
“Super charismatic, he’s excited to be here,” Tucker said when asked about Lentz Jr. “What I see when I work with the individuals here, I see people that push me to do better.”
Ten patients have worked at the cafe since it opened in 2016, and the length of their stay depends on the goals of the individual, UCF spokeswoman Rachel Williams said.
“This is important therapy because many traumatic brain injury patients exhaust their health benefits before experiencing full rehab potential,” Williams said. “This is a community service project that allows them to continue to progress toward their rehab goal.”
Most patients are referred through the local clinical community and different support groups in Central Florida, Williams said.
In addition to the patients, the cafe, located in the Health and Public Affairs building, also serves as an opportunity for students studying in the physical therapy program to get hands-on experience. Anyone can make purchases from the cafe as it serves typical snacks and drinks.
“You can read about a diagnosis in a book and what the implications of that are,” Tucker said. “For students, that’s not as engaging as meeting a person. When they talk with Larry, that diagnosis is more than a paragraph in a book.”
Over the year and a half Lentz Jr. has recovered at Knights on the Go, he has enjoyed the interaction with the students, his mother said.
“He’s worked with some really nice people,” Ruth Lentz said. “We can’t say enough about the people that he’s worked with here and the program.”
