Dr. Michael Reardon is one of our veteran physicians here at Child Neurology Consultants and has been with the practice since the very beginning.
He’s also a veteran of many other things.
Dr. Reardon is a veteran in the local pediatric neurology community, having previously served as co-director of the Pediatric Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic and now is a current faculty member for Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Dr. Reardon has a special interest in concussion prevention and management and is a frequent contributor to concussion health activities both locally and nationally.
He is also a veteran camp counselor and basically a kid-at-heart himself. Dr. Reardon has volunteered his time for many years at Camp Brainstorm and the MDA – Austin Camp. He supports campers in their daily activities, serves as a member of the on-site medical staff and shares his love of music with everyone there…which brings us to something else that Dr. Reardon is a veteran of – making music.
He plays a mean blues harmonica and writes his own original pieces.
Compassion runs deep at Child Neurology Consultants of Austin, and it starts with our clinical staff. Here’s an update on Dr. Reardon’s music, family, and life, in his own words. As all of our patients know, life journeys aren’t easy straight lines and it’s in the valleys and curves where important lessons are learned.
With the downtime we all experienced during the pandemic, did you add any new instruments to your musical repertoire or compose any great new scores?
I haven’t played as often as I used to, but my harmonica skills are intact. They were put to the test recently at the wedding rehearsal dinner for our oldest son, Tanner, and our wonderful new daughter-in-law, Anna, and it was a really special time. I got to jam with Tanner, his younger brother Wilson, Wilson’s girlfriend and band-mate Tara (they are members of the up-and-coming rock band, Mom Rock), and my brother Ryan, who was a full-time touring blues musician back in the day. I’d say I held my own, lol.
As someone who cares for young athletes, following the hiatus of sports during the pandemic, what sports were you most excited to start following again once play resumed?
I’m going to get very real here…my interests have always stemmed from my own kids’ activities- they all grew up playing baseball, a little bit of football, and then eventually each one of them transitioned into music and/or musical theater, which captured most of my attention.
Our youngest, Brady, would almost certainly be on Broadway one day. Then the unthinkable happened…he was in a car accident and had a severe brain injury. The past two years and four months have been all about his care and recovery. As he has regained much of his awareness and personality, he still loves music theater and listening to all his favorite bands.
But more than ever before, he loves watching the Dallas Cowboys, and football in general, so we have watched a lot of NFL this past season. Since the Cowboys fell short, as usual, we were rooting for the Bengals (we like to call them the Bagels) in the Super Bowl.
And just like before, Brady loves anything related to BMX, skateboarding, as well as snowboarding, and all the snow and ice-type sports. So, we are also enjoying the Winter Games.
As for youth sports, I always look forward to my patients filling me in on what’s going on with them on the fields and on their teams.
Do you have any special personal goals you’d like to share about for the new year, or perhaps plans for an upcoming trip or adventure that you are looking forward to?
This year, like the last, is all about finding balance–continuing to allow time to grieve for what we have lost, while putting positive energy into Brady’s recovery; providing full-time care for Brady, while staying close with our two older kids, and finding time to care for myself and my marriage; and finally, maintaining my dedication and commitment to my patients, and to my family at home.
We do have a big adventure planned for this summer. We will take Brady on his first big road trip since his accident to his favorite place, Colorado. We will be mapping out the best wheelchair-accessible places to stay and fun activities to do in the mountains for people with disabilities.
We love the passion and dedication that Dr. Reardon has for his family, his patients, our practice, and his music. Thank you for all that you do for us.
