A Gym Where Recovery Doesn't Have a Deadline: Neuro Fitness Foundation

This month I had the privilege of hosting Thuy Layhew, President of Neuro Fitness Foundation (NFF). Thuy wears every hat imaginable at NFF, from board president to program director, to make sure people who can't afford traditional therapy still have a place to go after a traumatic brain injury, serious physical injury, or other neurological condition.

Thuy's Story

Thuy opened with her own history, and it explained everything that came after. Her family came to the U.S. from Vietnam with almost nothing. Even so, she watched her parents give away what little they had — helping neighbors, feeding people who had less. That example stuck. She started serving her community in college and kept at it after landing a full-time job as a systems engineer, volunteering on the side.

Then her life changed. One day she woke up and couldn't feel anything from the waist down — the first sign of what turned out to be multiple sclerosis. She got involved with the MS Society, and in 2013 began volunteering with NFF, eventually stepping up to lead the organization.

NFF In Their Members' Own Words

Neuro Fitness Foundation has served North Texas for 28 years as an adapted fitness gym for people with neurological conditions or disabilities. It's the place people land once insurance-funded physical therapy runs out but recovery isn't finished. Thuy shared a video the organization recently produced, and the members' own words made the case better than any statistic could.

One member explained why NFF works when a regular gym doesn't: the machines are built for what he needs, and the trainers are right there to offer assistance. Another reflected on the emotional weight of that shift, saying it would be easy for anyone to stay angry about a life that can't be gotten back, but that NFF's members treat their injuries as a challenge to overcome rather than a life sentence. They fight for their strength daily, not just for themselves, but for their families.

Several members talked about how long they'd been coming. One has been a member for four years and credits the gym with helping him regain his strength. Others described the culture inside the building: people walking in and instantly smiling, everyone knowing each other by name, sharing stories that motivate each other to keep going. One member put it simply: when someone new walks in, everyone gravitates toward them, shares what they've learned, and treats it like family helping family. A physical therapist featured in the video added a broader point: exercise is an underrated form of medicine, and the social and community aspect of a place like NFF is just as important to recovery as the physical training itself.

Perhaps the most striking comment was about what would happen without NFF at all. One member said he genuinely didn't know of another place nearby that was affordable and equipped to help him get on a machine, and that he didn't know what he, or anyone in his position, would do if it closed.

Beyond Physical Therapy

Thuy was clear that NFF's mission goes well past adapted fitness equipment. The organization runs clinical trial research in partnership with hospitals and universities across the country, using their own client base as participants. They also serve as a training ground for PT and OT students, who don't just observe — they intern, volunteer, and are mentored directly by NFF's staff and clients.

Membership is open to anyone with a disability or serious health condition, not only neurological cases. Thuy specifically mentioned that people recovering from cancer treatment or joint replacement surgery are welcome too, as long as they have a physician's release. NFF is open Monday through Saturday, and some members are there from morning to night, bringing lunch and treating it as a genuine second home. The busiest window is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thuy noted the gym has a strong Spanish-speaking community as well. Language differences dissolve pretty quickly once people are working out and laughing together.

The Real Challenge Right Now

For all its impact, NFF runs on almost nothing — two part-time employees, with everyone else, including Thuy, working pro bono. And right now, the organization is facing a real estate crisis. Their current landlord intends to sell the building and has only committed to giving them 30 days' notice once a buyer is found. A promising alternative space in Arlington would need significant renovation to be ADA accessible — a painful irony for an organization built entirely around serving people with disabilities. Rent on other options in the area has been prohibitively high. Thuy asked our group directly for help — connections to available commercial space, contractors for renovation, and hands for both fundraising and day-to-day support at the gym.

Ways to Help

There are plenty of ways to get involved, and none of them require a background in healthcare. NFF welcomes volunteers at the gym with no certification required. You're trained hands-on to help members get on and off equipment, strap in, and move safely, with coverage especially needed 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Monday through Saturday. If your skills lean more toward marketing, social media, or IT, those are in short supply too, since NFF operates on a very small budget and leans on community volunteers to fill those gaps. Thuy is also open to volunteers leading an activity or class. She mentioned arts and crafts sessions alongside the exercise classes already run by partner university programs. In September, NFF is hosting the UNT Health PT class and partnering with the Miracle League of Arlington, and could use help around both. And with the upcoming move, NFF needs leads on ADA-accessible commercial space, contractors for renovation, and eventually hands to help paint and design the new space. As with most small nonprofits, fundraising and grant-writing support is always welcome too.

NFF has been showing up for the DFW community for 28 years. Thuy's ask to our group was simple and direct: help her find a way to keep the doors open for another 28. If any of this is in your wheelhouse, reach out to NFF at 817-571-1323 or info@neurofitnessfoundation.org.

Around the Room

DFW Cyber Lions Club is all about commUNITY! Here's what attendees shared at the Lunch & Learn, and where you might be able to lend a hand:

• Lonneka Taiwo shared an update on Lo's Jewels Haven, a veteran housing project in Temple, Texas, being renovated inside a 4,200-square-foot building she's leased through her nonprofit, Lo's Jewels Foundation. Construction started this week, and she's building a donation wish list to help furnish the space before residents move in. Learn more on their Facebook page.

• Alfonso Franco, with Proyecto Inmigrante, announced an August 8 citizenship information session and an August 22 citizenship workshop at the Mexican consulate, done in partnership with the Guatemalan and Salvadoran consulates, expecting to serve around 150 people. Volunteers are welcome. Learn more at https://proyectoinmigrante.org.

• Conrad Alagaban ran down a full slate of community events: the Leo Awards on August 1 in Grand Prairie, a Bob Cook Park volunteer opportunity, State Representative Junior Ezeonu's community picnic with a school supply drive, and the Dallas Cyber Rescue Lions Club charter night. Conrad has also stepped into the role of Lions District 2-X1 Information Technology Chair, working to get nonprofit updates and grant opportunities in front of all 73 active clubs in the district.

Hope 4 All will be highlighting the DFW Cyber Lions Club Lunch & Learns throughout our Executive Director's presidency. Wish you were there to hear from Thuy? Catch the recording below, and consider this your invitation to join us next month!

https://youtu.be/nlwAnQVafCg