An Old Life Ends
Alex Dahlberg refers to his first 19 years as an "old life." The Forsyth County native — born in 1999 — and 2018 Horizon Christian Academy graduate was a laid-back athlete with lots of friends — the kind of kid who didn't think too deeply about the meaning of it all. That changed on February 24, 2019.
At 19 years old, Alex fell into a coma. He was diagnosed with encephalitis — inflammation of the brain caused by the Epstein-Barr virus associated with mono. The swelling ravaged his brain and left him fighting for his life.
"I think about it now," he told the Forsyth County News. "That was, yeah, that has pretty much disappeared. But I want to accomplish things more now. I'm more thankful and I think about meaning in life more. But I am also much more emotional now as well."
Waking Up a Different Person
"I was in a coma for about a month. When I woke up, I was on life support, hooked up to ventilators. Doctors said I had the brain of a seven-year-old. Even though I was responsive, I didn't know my name or how to tie a shoe at age 20."
Alex would go on to spend nearly a year in hospitals, first at Emory and then at the Shepherd Center for Intensive Rehabilitation in Atlanta. He had to relearn the most basic of human functions — eating, drinking, walking, talking, reading and more.
"They had to teach me how to walk again. They really didn't know what would work, so they experimented and tried things. I was angry at myself, life, everything."
His mother Pennie described the personality shifts she saw in her son: "Before that, he was an athlete. He was laid back and had lots of friends. And his whole personality changed — like having a stroke."
Music Never Left Him
Through all the confusion, music was Alex's anchor.
"There was a guitar in the hospital. Usually, when you pick up a guitar, it's in standard tuning. This guitar was in drop D tuning," he recalled. "While my parents were beside me, and I couldn't remember who they were, I could play the drop D tuning of the song Everlong by the Foo Fighters."
As he relearned how to walk and talk, music gave him purpose. "I couldn't walk outside for a year or read because of anxiety attacks. I got a lot better at the guitar from playing in the hospital so much during that time."
A New Beginning in Wilmington
After his hospital stay, Alex was determined to reclaim his independence. He gradually regained his physical capabilities, but when he returned home, he began wrestling with post-traumatic stress disorder. The PTSD revealed itself in the form of severe anxiety and panic attacks.
"I noticed them," he said. "And they used to scare me when I first started to get them. But now since I realize what's going on, I'm getting used to it."
Now 26, Alex is on track to graduate from Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina, with a degree in public relations. He's found rhythm in his new life — working full-time as a pond maintenance technician while pursuing music.
"I'm able to be more independent, more on my own now. I like that."
An Invisible Disability
Looking back, Alex reflects on everything he's overcome.
"This whole experience really changed how I see life. I have what's called an invisible disability. You can't see what I've been through just by looking at me."
On World Encephalitis Day — February 22 — people around the world wear red to raise awareness. Encephalitis affects more people than motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, bacterial meningitis, and cerebral palsy, yet 78% of people worldwide don't know what it is. Alex's story is a testament to resilience, to the healing power of music, and to the strength it takes to rebuild a life from scratch.