DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF)- A Dallas officer has overcome the biggest challenge in his life and he’s taking on another this weekend.
Dallas Sergeant Ed Lujan was run over and dragged underneath a suspect’s car while on duty in 2015.
Lujan not only had broken bones, he also had a traumatic brain injury.
He was admitted into the Centre for Neuro Skills inpatient program with memory, cognitive, and attention and processing problems. The CNS team went to work right away and within six months, Ed was back at work as a detective in the Property Crimes Division.
“I was learning how to walk again, learning how to process information like a normal human being. It just took time,” he said.
After 18 months, Lujan was fully healed and back to full-time duty to continue his 20-year career on the police force.
Lujan said he still has slight pain and some hearing loss in his right ear, but is using the tactics/skills he learned in rehab for memory and word finding.
Unable to walk not long ago…Lujan will be participating in a triathlon in Keller this Sunday, March 21st.
He said he’s thankful to be alive and wanted to prove that anything is possible.
“Part of the journey is suffering a little bit. I definitely suffered. But I knew that I needed to do something to prove that I can get back on my feet and this wasn’t the end, there was more to life,” he said.
Along with getting a promotion, He is also now Chairman of the Assist the Officer Foundation, a non-profit that provides free counseling and resources for ALL first responders.
“You know, like I tell people, this has made me a better person, husband, father, friend. Because it has opened my eyes and my heart for some of the things I couldn’t accept — it’s helped me understand,” said Lujan.