Health News For South West


Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Ontario Brain Injury Association
June is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Acquired brain injury (ABI) CAN happen to anyone and the financial, social and emotional costs are staggering.  For Brain Injury Awareness Month, June 2015, OBIA is pleased to launch the release of “I AM THE FACE OF BRAIN INJURY.” This new and important message about brain injury and concussion was created by individuals living with brain injury to raise awareness about this often invisible disability. Watch the video here.

Brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability for people under the age of 44 and kills more people under the age of 20 than any other causes combined (US Center for Disease Control).  A brain injury can be traumatic (TBI) as the result of a blow to head, a fall or a motor vehicle collision.  It can also be non-traumatic (NON TBI) due to illness, cardiac arrest or near drowning.  

Quick Facts:
 
  • Eighty to ninety percent of all traumatic brain injury is classified as mild (mTBI) (http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/338/)
  • A concussion is a mild brain injury 
  • Brain injuries result in physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural problems that are often misunderstood by friends, families, employers and others
  • 21% of people with brain injury waited more than one year for rehabilitation to begin; 9% waited more than 5 years (http://obia.ca/the-obia-impact-report/)

“Brain injuries can range from mild to catastrophic, but all brain injuries can have lasting effects,” said Ruth Wilcock, Executive Director of OBIA. “Sadly, a traumatic brain injury is a lifelong condition with varying degrees of disability ranging from minor to 24/7 care. Individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury often require immediate care at a trauma centre, acute care in the hospital, intensive rehabilitation and long term extensive care by family members.” 

Media Contacts:

Ruth Wilcock          
Executive Director
Ontario Brain Injury Association
905-641-8877 ext 238
rwilcock@obia.on.ca

Donna Thomson
Executive Director
Brain Injury Association of London
519-642-4539
info@braininjurylondon.on.ca

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