Shaun Best, survivor of a brain injury over 30 years ago, discusses the stigma of stereotypes and labels for persons with brain injuries and other cognitive or physical challenges. By emphasizing positive descriptive words, he is working on including people with disabilities in our communities rather than isolating and excluding them.

Brain injury Survivor Forum information and how to submit an article.

A traumatic brain injury changed the life of Terry Morgan. He went from feeling like a million dollars as pastor of a large church and leading a full active life and career to feeling worthless. The fall that resulted in his brain injury changed his entire life – and that of his family. But as a brain injury survivor, it also resulted in his reevaluating what’s important in life. He now see there is a positive side to brain injury once you survive the physical and emotional trauma and rebuild your life.

Hi, my name is Angela Marie Cecilia Machovec, or just Angie, which is what most people call me… except for my father and my doctor.

I sustained a traumatic brain injury on May 30, 2000… it was actually my last day of high school. I was 17 at the time, and I was struck by a car when I crossed the street to go back home. I can’t stress enough how it was like any other day, the same time I went jogging, and the same path I took.

But my world completely changed at that moment

Gwendolyn Gibbons believes she is lucky to be a survivor of traumatic brain injury (TBI). She feels lucky to be alive. Despite being visually impaired in her right eye and having a few memory problems, she still enjoys life and many of the things she did when she was young, like going to parades. Meeting other survivors at a clubhouse for social activities is an important part of her life. She is still marching at the head of the parade of life.

The loss of speech can feel devastating to the survivor of a brain injury. Katherine Kimes writes about the frustration, persistence and sheer effort required as she learned how to speak and communicate again by forming syllables and words one by one after the car crash that resulted in her brain injury.

She is now an eloquent writer and uses language to express the emotional turmoil that accompanied her communication impairment.

Our dreams of life are stopped for a brief time as we have floated in the heavens and searched for our dreams.

Our lives have meanings that we do not understand; we are the people who struggle and face many obstacles!

The White Dove opens its wings to fly in searching of answers – why me?

Everyday is beautiful; some are dreary and others are pretty,
I love them all and you would too if you were me.
To see that wonderful sunrise brings a smile to my heart,
Reminding every day; it’s a brand new start.

What I want to know
Is this:
If I walked towards
A mirage long enough
Will it grow weary?

Today I will wear
My injury
Like a broken bone,
So everyone can
See my brain
Limp.