Before our loved one was injured most of us were unaware of the widespread causes of TBI in our society. We were unaware of the stigma and the potential for recovery. Most of us didn’ t know that car crashes and combat are the most significant perpetrators of TBI in our country.

So we understand that many people are ignorant about TBI. TBI bears a powerful stigma for the survivor reflected in statements like: “ brain dead”, “ brain damage”, “ weird”, and “ inappropriate” to label another person who we don’ t understand. These kinds of statements are highly damaging to the survivors living with TBI. They are common in our society, and reflect our cultural ignorance about TBI. Yet TBI is known as the “ Invisible Epidemic” in the medical and trauma field.

Since our loved one was injured we learned that there are 1.4 million Traumatic Brain Injuries every year in the US. Half of these are to children. Nearly half (44%) are caused by vehicle crashes. Statistically it takes $4 million per person, and between 5 and 10 years of recovery to achieve the fullest recovery possible for each of these victims. With numbers like these, our communities, schools, churches, and social organizations need to know more about Traumatic Brain Injury.

Education and advocacy do two critical things:

1. End the stigma, isolation, and depression that TBI survivors suffer and replace it with

companionship, support, and hope.

2. Take seriously the need to prevent TBI. Educate about the causes. Speak up for prevention

measures such as bike and ski/snowboard helmets; swim and water safety programs; anti-shaken-

baby education; and end the carnage on our roads. HEADSTRONG advocates and present on

pedestrian safety and safe driving.

HeadStrong presented at Harborview Medical Center on Pedestrian Safety Summit and testified in Olympia for the first Washington State Cell Phone bill. We worked with Lowell Weiss and the Distracted Driver Task Force of Washington State (DDTF) to make talking on a cell phone while driving a Primary Offense as opposed to a Secondary Offense.

Contact info@headstrongforlife.org to find out how you can help.

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Please join one of the Head Injury, Injury Prevention, or Pedestrian Safety organizations.

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Contact your federal, state and local representatives.