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10-09-2005, 12:09 PM
| #1 (permalink) |
| TurtleWax Taster   Join Date: Jun 2005
Bike: 2003 Intruder 1500
Posts: 585
|  Brain Injury
This was posted by Kingprawnokay (Kevin) on an ST1300 forum and I thought it was good to pass on -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This thread involves a topic that should be of interest to every motorcyclist. I am enrolled as a graduate student of speech-language pathology at Northeastern University. My current internship is with the private out-patient rehab company Community Rehab Care. We specialize in treating acquired brain injuries (TBI, CVA, Anoxic events, siezure disorders, etc.) Through this supervised position, I was alerted to the BABIS (Boston Acquired Brain Injury Support Group) 2nd annual Brain Injury Awareness Walk. The walk took place today around Jamaica Pond (1.5 miles) and consisted mostly of people with brain injuries. I had the honor of walking alongside Marilyn Price-Spivack (while assisting a wheel chair bound participant), founder of the Brain Injury Association of America and the Massachusettes Brain Injury Association. Her daughter suffered a severe brain injury in the 1975 and did not recieve proper care. Her son died three years later in a motorcycle accident. She took action, and has recieved many awards over the years for her accomplishments and tireless efforts to improve the care of individuals with brain injury. Recently, she was recognized by President George W. Bush for outstanding Public Service for creating opportunities in employment for people with traumatic brain injury. Brain injury is an epidemic in this country. In Language Intervention Strategies in Aphasia and Related Neurogenic Communication Disorders 4th edition, Roberta Chapey estimates that approximately 500,000 people will be affected by brain injury this year. What's more, prevalence of brain injury in the United States is estimated at more than 5.3 million! Why am I writing this? Right now, Congress and insurance companies are trying their very best to limit the amount of skilled therapy people receive following brain injury. This is unacceptable. I implore you all to add your senators, representatives, governors, mayors, and any other pertinent officials to your cell phone speed dials and email contacts. It only takes 60 seconds to email or call them, tell them you are one of their constituents, and then tell them that therapy (physical, occupational, speech) is a necessary, nay, obligatory, part of the recovery process. Tell them you think it is important. Don't let the government reduce your chances of returning (functionally) to life following an accident. Remember, any one of us could become brain injured at any time. Brain injury is not a planned event. For more information go here: www.biausa.org |
