OUR GREAT MINDS

    by Amanda Hookey

    Surviving a Brain Injury

    Brain injury can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Traumatic brain injury interferes with how the neurological (nervous system) functions work. When nerves in the brain are damaged they can no longer send messages to complete bodily functions like movement and speech in normal ways.

    Damage to nerves change the behaviours and personality traits of people afflicted with brain injury. Brain injury can also result in the loss of a number of physical capabilities, which include: paralysis (loss of mobility), loss of the use of the senses (sensation) and the inability to communicate. Brain injury can also trigger the onset of Epilepsy, producing violent seizures (fits of convulsions), and induce long-term or permanent comas (loss of consciousness). Brain injury’s reduction of cognitive abilities is caused by a variety of activities such as sporting accidents, drug abuse, traumatic injury, and psychological disorders.

    While no one is immune to brain injury, it can be minimized with preventative measures like properly fitting head protection, maintained through rehabilitation, and coped with by attending proper support groups and programming. Dr. Michelle Ploughman while talking about the importance of preventing brain injury, stated, “A helmet absorbs the force of an impact to the head and shields the brain from injury. Brain injury happens in seconds, but the effects last a lifetime. We see first-hand the effects of brain injury on thinking, memory, movement, and personality.”

    Groups at higher risk

    Certain populations have limits accessing rehabilitation services because brain injury limits the cognitive ability of the brain. Limited brain function can reduce awareness of programs that may be available for survivors. Angie Smith, Director of Programming for the Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury Association (NLBIA), talked about specific areas of concern for people with Brain Injuries, she stated, “Drug and alcohol addiction, incarceration, homelessness and mental illness are also areas where we find a disproportionate number of individuals who have had previous Brain Injury and have not received treatment. These Individuals are also at higher risk even if they have not sustained a brain injury in the past. Industrial safety accidents are a high source of brain injury in many of our clients and we just want to put the word out there to the industrial sector that we are here in Newfoundland and Labrador to support anyone who has sustained a brain injury as well as supporting their families.”

    NLBIA programs and services

    Newfoundland and Labrador Brain Injury Association is a non-profit organization located in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The NLBIA has been assisting people living with brain injury and their families for 31 years by offering a comprehensive list of programming. Their multi-faceted programs and services provide access to a team of skilled Social Workers who provide brain injury survivors and their family with information about specific resources and programming available in the province. The Adults with Brain Injury Living Every Day (A.B.L.E.) program is a support group for people living with the results of brain injury. A.B.L.E. meets every Wednesday for recreational pursuits and gives people living with brain injury a sense of community while assisting with their reintegration into society.

    Partners in funding

    The NLBIA is a non-profit organization that relies on support from the community for funding and volunteering. Past funding from Eastern Heath has allowed the NLBIA to be able to continue to promote and create awareness for campaigns about the importance of healthy living when dealing with brain injury. Implementation of the wear a helmet, save a brain campaign was created as a direct result of the funding provided by Eastern Health. The campaign was started in hopes to educate children (in grades kindergarten through nine) about the importance of wearing a helmet while bicycling, and to making sure it fits properly. In 2012 with the help of co-operative students from Memorial University the program resulted in educating 2000 children on the Avalon Peninsula about the importance of wearing a helmet. Dr. Sandra Luscombe spoke about the reality of brain injury in Newfoundland and Labrador, “Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest rates of bicycle-related injuries and hospitalizations in the country.”

    NLBIA Advocacy

    The NLBIA understands that the road to full recovery may not always be the outcome of rehabilitation. They want you to know that their staff and organization are equipped to offer support and reassurance along the way, by helping survivors and families cope with changes to cognitive function due to brain injury. The NLBIA is committed to continually providing viable living assistance and mediation for people dealing with brain injuries through programming designed to assist brain injury survivors with every aspect of their lives, from banking to living accommodations and more. They are also committed to promoting prevention of brain injury with their awareness and advocacy campaigns.

    Amanda Hookey

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