Dylan Finn
With his enthusiastic and optimistic manner, you would have no idea that Dylan Finn went through one of the scariest experiences imaginable.
In 2020, while a student at the College of Charleston, Finn suffered a serious fall, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. There was only a 10% survival rate. Despite the chances, he beat all odds. He knew that living through such a traumatic experience would change him, but he didn’t realize it would turn him into a writer. And a good one, too.
Finn’s life was pretty typical for a college-aged student before the fall. When he came to the College of Charleston, one of his friends suggested that he check out the hospitality and tourism management program since he is incredibly charismatic and outgoing. As soon as he took one of the classes, he knew he wanted to major in it. So, he declared his major in hospitality and tourism management.
While at the college, he met Professor Steve Litvin, who quickly became an important person in his life. He was more than a professor; he was a friend. And once the fall happened, Litvin advocated for him to finish his degree, despite his traumatic injury.
“I wasn’t going to come back to school, but he gave me a list of reasons why I should.”
It’s unfathomable how one’s life can change instantly because of a moment in time. Once he suffered the traumatic brain injury, he had to find the strength to rebuild his life. While recovering, he knew that no one else should feel the darkness and loneliness that he felt.
Inspired by his mentor Paul Melella, who he met at the gym, Finn found that the best way to process his injury was to write it down. Once he started writing, he couldn’t stop.
“It flowed out of me. It was crucial for my life. It felt good to write it down. And then halfway through writing [my story], I felt like I could do something with it,” he shares.
Determined by the enormous support of his friends and family, he wrote a book.
The book’s title is Growth, a simple word but nonetheless deeply significant. Finn was first acquainted with the word while recovering from his injury.
“I would always say that to myself [grow],” he recalls. “Because of that, I was noticing the good things that came from the injury. Little by little, growth.”
The book is the definition of inspiration. He gives a personal narrative about his childhood, his gains and losses throughout life, and the hope that exists on the other side of darkness. He makes sure that the reader has insight into his childhood and life before the fall. Once he reaches the main event of the book, he reveals the most important lessons he gained from it.
The response to the book has been overwhelming. He took a major setback in his life and flipped it on its side. People have reached out far and wide, praising him for sharing his story. It has not only changed his life but has impacted those who decide to pick it up and give it a read.
If you take a look at the dedication page of his book, you’ll notice that among those mentioned are his mother, Melella, and his 21-year-old self, the age when his life changed.
“That version of myself that went through this, he’s the one who came out on top.”
Growth is available online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon or in stores. You can read more about Finn at https://www.dylan-finn.com.
