Brain Injuries Don’t Care! June is Brain Injury Awareness Month

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BRAIN INJURIES DON’T CARE! JUNE is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Brain injuries make no appointments, nor does it matter what age you are, race, ethnicity, or gender. A brain injury takes anyone, anytime of the day or night. They happen suddenly and in a second change your life. One day you are completely independent. The next, you’re trying to relearn the most basic skills like walking and speaking.

They are caused by trauma from falls and car accidents, or stem from other health issues, like a stroke. The brain controls everything we think, feel and do, how we move, what we smell and see. Everything is controlled by our brain. Rehabilitation for acquired brain injury (ABI) is like building a tower of blocks. One block at a time provides stability and everyone must work together.

Imagine your child driving their bike and being struck by a car. Or getting hit in the head with a ball travelling 100 miles an hour. Or driving and an elk comes through your windshield. Or waking up to discover you had a stroke while sleeping. Or driving the Malahat and the RCMP corral what they think is a drunk driver; only to discover someone having a stroke. Then there are concussions. Without help, those living with an ABI and their families face a lifetime of frustration, hardship and isolation.

180,000 British Columbians live with anABI. There are 22,000 newABI’s in British Columbia every year. Every day there are 60 new cases in British Columbia. In 2017, Statistics Canada reported 3,400 people in the Cowichan area had brain injuries.

Programs at CBIS start with “Let’s” (Let Us) because rehabilitation for ABI is life long and not a journey to travel alone. Let’s Connect is a community-based peer support initiative. Programs maintain and/or increases cognitive and functional levels, provide emotional support, and inspire hope. ‘Rebuilding After Brain Injury’ is a 24-week education program, starting in September, providing tools, coping strategies, and tips. Contact Christine Smith, Case Manager and Education Facilitator by email christine@ cowichanbraininjury.org or call 250-7597-4662 for an intake appointment.

When an ABI happens, everyone connected to the loved one is affected. Affected by a flood of emotion, feelings of expectation, and the desire to do something … anything to make things better. What’s your something? Is it to volunteer, give a donation, be a program sponsor, or participate in an event? However, you choose, YOU will make a difference in someone’s life.

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