Adam Dansiger '00 told The Dartmouth this summer his "number-one goal" was to visit the College this October.
This weekend Dansiger, who was critically injured one year ago in an automobile accident, made a special Homecoming -- fulfilling his goal and seeing Dartmouth for the first time since the tragic crash last October.
Dansiger was traveling southbound on Interstate 89 near Sharon, Vt., one year ago Saturday, when he lost control of his 1991 Mazda Navajo and was thrown from the car during three roll-overs.
Dansiger returned to Hanover for Homecoming Weekend and said he enjoyed seeing the College and his friends again.
"Seeing a lot of [my friends] brought back a lot of memories and it motivates me more to come back," Dansiger told The Dartmouth this weekend. "I want to return to Dartmouth soon."
While his initial goal for returning to the College full time was this Fall term, Dansiger now says he hopes to be back taking courses Summer term.
During his time in Hanover, Dansiger visited his brothers at Phi Delta Alpha fraternity, watched the Dartmouth Night bonfire festivities and attended a breakfast on Saturday with the baseball team, where he was presented with a team jacket and hat by team captain Mike Conway '99.
"I was surprised to be invited in the first place, but when I got here, I received the jacket and I knew I belonged," he said.
Dansiger's father Zeev said Adam was very involved with the Dartmouth team and "baseball is his life." Dansiger made news last April when he attended the Opening Day celebrations at Shea Stadium, after being invited by New York Mets pitcher John Franco.
Dansiger also visited with acting Dean of the College Dan Nelson and Class of 2000 Dean Teoby Gomez this weekend.
"Dean Gomez was a fantastic guy, and Nelson motivated me to come back to Dartmouth," Dansiger said.
Last fall, doctors at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where Dansiger was hospitalized after the accident with massive head injuries, said they did not expect him to survive for 24 hours.
But since then, Dansiger has been recovering faster than anyone had imagined.
After spending time at DHMC and a rehabilitation center in Edison, N.J., Dansiger is now back at his home in Staten Island where he attends all-day therapy sessions four days a week.
Dansiger is able to walk with a cane and is regaining strength in his right side, which was weakened as a result of the accident.
His memory, personality and intelligence were the first things to recover, making the process difficult at times.
"Since he's intellectually fine, it's going very slow and he's very frustrated," Dansiger's mother Gail said.
She said Dansiger does not remember the accident, and has problems balancing but is learning techniques to regain that skill.
Gail said the College has been supportive throughout the year. "They've been extraordinarily wonderful."
"They kept in touch often -- very professional," Zeev said.
Dansiger said he was apprehensive about his return in the days preceding the trip.
"I was numb with nervousness," he said.
Dansiger's father, however, said Adam was extremely comfortable once he was back on campus. "Once we got into the frat, the barriers were down."
Zeev said "it was well worth the whole trip" to see him talking socially with a group of friends from the baseball team during the Saturday event.
