It is with great excitement and enthusiasm we

announce the joining of two incredible organiza-

tions. The BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA) and

the Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference Society

(PCBICS) are joining together to become one group

with a focused and clear purpose to support our

province’s brain injury

community. The union

of these two

organizations was an-

nounced in November

2012 at the BCBIA’s

Gala in Vancouver. The

timeline for the merger

will take 3-6 months to

get the business end of

things complete and

form a new organization with one board of direc-

tors. We have engaged The Governance Group, led

by Vince Battistelli to help facilitate the merger and

also to lead the new board through a strategic plan-

ning process and active board governance develop-

ment. The strategic planning and governance devel-

opment process will take us into the spring of 2014.

As a first step in the process, both boards gath-

ered and had a facilitated conversation where both

groups shared common visions and reasons for the

two organizations coming together. There is consid-

erable enthusiasm for merging the two groups and

although the priorities for the newly forming organi-

zation are still to be uncovered there is one priority

that everyone is very committed to and will be of

utmost importance as we

move forward;

www.brainstreams.ca is that

priority. At this same meeting

we formed a “Merger Transi-

tion Group” consisting of

three members of each of the

two board of directors. This

group will work closely with

The Governance Group team

to complete the merger and liaise with their respec-

tive board members

until the new organization is formed and confirma-

tion of the board members is complete. For more

info and periodic updates on the process please

visit, www.brainstreams.ca. *

- By Patti Flaherty

As published in Headline Magazine Spring 2013

“Concussions in teenagers

more damaging and last

longer than previously

known”

Adolescent athletes who

experience concussions exhibit

changes in their brain for a

longer period of time than was

previously known, according to

new research by Naznin Virji-

Babul and Lara Boyd, both

members of the Brain Research

Centre at UBC and Vancouver

Coastal Health.

The results were published in

the January edition of the journal

Pediatric Neurology.The Brain

Research Centre comprises

more than 225 investigators with

multidisciplinary expertise in

neuroscience research ranging

from the test tube, to the bed-

side, to industrial spin-offs.

The Centre is a partnership

of the UBC Faculty of Medicine

and VCH Research Institute. *

For more information, visit

www.brain.ubc.ca. @ News

Updates

BCBIA and PCBICS Join as One

I S S U E

H I G H L I G H T S :

OK Conference

2013

3

Meet Kids

Korner’s ‘Bobby

Bee’

6

A B C’s for

Caregivers

8

Important

Events

10

Support

Directory

11

Helmet Hair

Campaign

13

Contact Us 14

A UBC Brain Research Centre Report

Gray Matters Quarterly S P R I N G - S U M M E R 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

A B I N E W S

A N D V I E W S

Inside: The OK BI

Conference’s new

location

Inside: NEW

Hövding “Air-Bag”

Crash Collar

Inside: NEW Con-

cussion Resource

Lead

Inside: Brain Injury

in Amateur Sports

Published by BC Brain Injury Association Editor: Deborah St. Jean

P A G E 2

“Thank you to

our Sponsors!”

- BCBIA

BCBIA Event Sponsorships

Questions and Answers

tribution that our donors make.

BENEFITS OF SPON-

SORSHIP:

We are pleased to acknowledge

donor names in our annual re-

port, quarterly newsletter and

website.

For businesses support-

ing our events with

financial or in kind con-

tributions, we are happy

to discuss further nam-

ing opportunities and

other forms of recogni-

tion that provide them

with the public recogni-

tion they deserve.

Some people prefer to do their

giving more privately. We always

respect the individual privacy of

our donors and will not publicize

their names if this is against their

wishes.

To those, we thank you for your

support!! *

SPONSOR A FALL

EVENT FOR ABI

If you are a business and

interested in supporting a

high profile, worthy com-

munity event, consider

sponsoring our annual high

profile Fall Gala for Brain

Injury, or one of our pre-

vention programs through

out the year in BC.

We would be happy to

create opportunities where we

can publicly recognize your

generous support.

OPPORTUNITIES

BC Brain Injury Asso-

ciation deeply values its

supporters and the

contributions they

make. We do every-

thing we can to show

our thanks and recog-

nize the invaluable con-

Max

Cyander,

Of

UBC Brain

Research

Centre

(Fall Unity Gala

November

2012)

G R A Y M A T T E R S Q U A R T E R L Y

Focus on what you can do

today.

• Try not to compare your-

self to how you were before

the brain in jury

• Get lots of rest

• Have patience, recovery

takes time

• Stay away from drugs and

alcohol, they will only make

things worse *

Q. How can I help a fam-

ily member or friend who

has suffered a brain in-

jury?

A. It’s important to extend

a helping hand to family

members or friends who’ve

suffered a brain injury. Be

patient with them, you may

see changes in them they do

not. Be supportive and lis-

ten to them, but at the same

time look out for them; be

sure they follow their doc-

tor’s advice and are not .

doing things that can ham-

per their recovery. *

Q. How can I help myself

recover from a brain in-

jury?

A. The most important

thing during your recovery

period is to follow your

doctor’s instructions and

advice

• Be sure to stay positive

and never get up on getting

better

“June is Brain

Injury Aware-

ness Month”

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

north end of the City of Kelowna.

UBCO has a solid reputation as a

valuable and respected centre of

learning and research - one that

enhances knowledge creation and

innovation, both in this region and

internationally. The Conference will

be held: Thursday and Friday

June 13 and 14th, 2013.

Visit: http://tinyurl.com/cjbbw9h

"Living Well:

Cultivating Hope and

Resilience After

Brain Injury"

The OK conference is to be held

this year in an academic setting at

the University of British Columbia

Okanagan (UBCO), located at the

Registration

(250) 762-3233

“For over 20

years, Brain-

Trust Canada

Association has

been hosting the

OK Conference

on Brain Injury.”

therapy may. A person with a

brain injury may transfer to

different facilities throughout

the recovery process.

A rehabilitation program

would generally look at the

following components: cogni-

tive, behavioral, vocational, edu-

cational, community re-entry

and recreation.

The active involvement of family

members and friends through -

out the rehabilitation process is

a key component to achieve

maximum success. Some prov-

ince have a “continuum of ser-

vices” where the person with a

brain injury will go through the

hospital, rehabilitation centre,

back home and will then use

the services of specific commu-

nity programs. *

Just as no two people are

alike, no two brain injuries are

alike. Appropriate treatment

and rehabilitation will vary ac-

cording to the needs of the

individual. Programs and treat-

ments change, as a person’s

needs change. It is important to

recognize that “more therapy”

does not make a person

“better”, but that “appropriate”

ABI: Treatment and Rehabilitation

Pushor Mitchell Okanagan Conference on Brain Injury

"Absence of

evidence is not

evidence of

absence" - Carl

Sagan, Dragons

of Eden”

P A G E 4

“Everyday

is the perfect day

to start

a dialogue on

brain injury

prevention!”...

Brain Injury In Canadian Amateur Sport:

Increasing Awareness By David J. Wallin

Barrister & Solicitor

Director: Whitelaw

Twining Law Corporation

The Issue - Sports concus-

sions have enjoyed recent

public awareness in light of

recent media attention due

to challenges faced by some

noteworthy professional

athletes and the corre-

sponding increased concern

over the risk of developing

long-term mental impair-

ment as a consequence of

repeated head trauma

through participation in

professional sports.

One notable example in the

United States is the media

attention that has been

recently focussed on the

thousands of former pro-

fessional football players

that have sued the NFL and

its teams, alleging that for

many years the NFL did not

do enough to protect its

players from all too fre-

quent concussions experi-

enced by players during

game play.

Does this increase in public

awareness of the potentially

debilitating and career end-

ing effects of sports concus-

sions in professional sport

bode well for an increase in

awareness and understand-

ing on how to keep our

children safe in Canadian

amateur sports?

Recent Canadian Study

of Traumatic Brain Inju-

ries in Amateur Sport

A recent study by neuro-

surgeon and principal re-

searcher, Dr. Michael Cusi-

mano, of St. Michael’s Hos-

pital in Toronto, found that

our beloved game of ice

hockey accounts for almost

half of all traumatic brain

injuries among Canadian

children and teens taking

part in team sports.

The Cusimano study

looked at nearly 13,000

injured Canadian children

aged 5 – 19 between the

years of 1990 and 2009.

The study utilized data ob-

tained from the Canadian

Hospitals Injury Reporting

and Prevention Program

(CHIRPP), which tracks

visits to emergency rooms

at 11 paediatric hospitals

and 3 general hospitals

across Canada. The study

found that more than 80%

of children and teens with

brain injuries were male,

with an average age of 13

years.

Researchers also found that

hockey accounted for

44.3% of all brain injuries,

with almost 70% of such

injuries occurring in chil-

dren 11 years of age and

older, as a result of player-

to-player contact, or being

hit into the boards by an-

other player.

Soccer ranked second on

the list, accounting for 19%

of those with a sports-

related brain injury. Most

of those injured were be-

tween the ages of 10 and

19 years of age, with the

most common reason being

struck by another player, a

kick to the head, or a head-

on-head collision. Among

players aged 5 to 9, brain

injuries occurred most often

from striking a surface, or

slamming into a goal post.

Researchers commented

that there is a really

straightforward solution to

this problem – “padding the

goal posts could have poten-

tially prevented a large num-

ber of these brain injuries in

young children.”

Football and rugby ranked

relatively lower on the list

at 13% and 5.6%, respec-

tively. Being struck by an-

other player, usually in a

tackle, was the most likely

cause of brain injuries in

these sports. The lower

ranking of these sports is

likely indicative of their

lower relative popularity in

Canada (when compared to

hockey and soccer), rather

than being indicative a true

reduction in the injury risk

potential of these sports.

Researchers are careful to

point out parents should

not take such studies as a

cue to withdraw their chil-

dren from sports and re-

searchers fully acknowledge

the importance of keeping

our children active. Re-

searchers insist the take

home message for parents

and children alike is to en-

courage play in these sports

in the safest way possible

with the both the appropri-

ate safety equipment and

adult supervision, to ensure

that play can proceed in the

safest way possible. *

G R A Y M A T T E R S Q U A R T E R L Y

P A G E 5 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

FREE

Concussion

Rack Cards

Order Now

From BCBIA!

604-788-7221

P A G E 6

“A serious

debilitating head

injury can happen

to anyone,

anywhere. Plan

ahead of time and

take your helmet

and wear it.”

Unity Gala Nov.

2012 Treasure

Chest’s top winner

of a Holland Amer-

ica Cruise —Tara

Tretheway.

Operation Headway Program

Meet Kids Korner’s ‘Bobby Bee’

Sponsor Opportunities Coming Up 2013 GALA: Become a BC

Brain Injury Association’s

event ‘Sponsor’. Our 2013’s

major event(s) and programs

need you!

Sponsor benefits can include

your logo acknowledged in all

event press releases, the

BCBIA website’s Sponsor page,

quarterly newsletters, event

programs, display ad(s) in ma-

jor newspapers, on all event

banners, tickets and notices

‘plus’ free display ad spots in

publications, and Emcee ac-

knowledgements and awards.

Make things happen! Help

prevent acquired brain injury

in BC. Get involved now. Get

recognized as a financial sup-

porter of ABI prevention and

awareness. Help us fund edu-

cational events in local com-

munities. Contact us.

2013 Speaker’s Bureau :

Become an SB Sponsor. BCBIA

needs funding now to broaden

our professional speaker base

and availability for Fall 2013.

Our Speakers are booked at

local group and sport related

functions, community events,

educational institutions and

more in BC.

If your firm or business

wants to be a vital part of the

solution to ABI in this prov-

ince, just choose your event

or program above, then

eMail our office and tell us:

info@bcbraininjuryassociation

.com

Sponsor levels: $1000—

$2500—$5000—$7500—$10000

*Gift-In-Kind donors welcome.

Association’s website. Kid’s

love this little guy as they fol-

low him through the event to

recovery. Ask us for yours!

Games, colouring pages,

puzzles and finding Bobby Bee

keep them learning as they play

and learn what happened at

the hospital and when they

met the doctor, through thera-

April 2013 - ‘A Visit

With Bobby Bee’ educa-

tional booklet is designed

to educate children with

head trauma about recov-

ery. Bobby Bee is a very

entertaining fellow who

stars in The Kid’s Korner

website linked from the

main BC Brain Injury

pies and healing, when they get

to go home and what may

happens when they become

ready to go back to school and

play with friends.

Sections like N2P (Note To

Parents) are there as well for

parents, and there is the sec-

tion for siblings too. Drop in! *

Call 604-788-7221 to order.

called Noggin’ Knowledge.

Police also had the option

to give out rewards for

persons wearing helmets

and provide helmets gift

cards for children and

adults who could not afford

helmets. Bike helmet obser-

vations studies were con-

ducted to monitor changes

in rates of helmet use.

The goal of this pro-

gram was to reduce bike

related head injuries by

increasing bike helmet

use among all ages.

Below is a downloadable

toolkit to help guide you

to implement this program

in your community. The

program was developed to

be scalable and can be suit-

able in a small or large

This program relies

heavily on the commitment

of both Municipal Police

and Royal Canadian

Mounted Police (RCMP) to

actively enforce the provin-

cial helmet legislation.

When riders are ticketed

by police, they are given

the option to either pay the

fine or to attend a one-time

only education session

A ‘NEW’

‘Free’ hospi-

tal handout

booklet for

kids.

It is distrib-

uted to head

trauma

centres In BC

G R A Y M A T T E R S Q U A R T E R L Y

BCBIA thanks you

for your

support!

Inflatable Swedish ‘Head Bag’ Collar P A G E 7 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

Many cyclists probably

wouldn’t consider taking even

a short ride without donning

a helmet -

According to international stud-

ies bicycle helmets reduce inju-

ries by at least 60 percent, while

four in 10 people who die in

cycling related accidents would

likely have survived if they had

been wearing a helmet. So what

if they had a protective device

to wear that eschews the main

drawbacks of wearing a helmet.

Swedish design firm Hövding

has created a new form of head

protection that makes use of

motion sensors and microcon-

trollers from Swiss-based ST

Microelectronics. The sensors

work much like those in an

automobile and react to sudden

movement that indicates a

crash, and inflates like a car’s

airbag.

Helmetless riders cite nu-

merous reasons, including:

those who find them bulky,

impractical to carry around, or

simply not flattering to wear.

Now researchers in Switzerland

and Sweden are looking at cre-

ating an invisible helmet that

could provide safety without

the bulk.

Unlike a traditional helmet,

this “invisible helmet” isn’t actu-

ally worn on the head, but in-

stead is a collar worn around

the neck with an airbag folded

inside. In an accident or crash it

can inflate in a tenth of a sec-

ond to form a hood that sur-

rounds and thus protects nearly

all of the cyclist’s head and

neck.

This helmet isn’t aimed at

those who wear a helmet al-

ready, but instead is for those

daily commuters or casual rid-

ers who tended to shy away

from a helmet for reasons such

as style. “As far as we know, all

our customers so far are peo-

ple who didn't use traditional

helmets before,” Anna Haupt,

founder of Hövding, told

BikeRadar. “They bought

Hövding because they know it's

dangerous in traffic, and this

was a protection they wanted

to use.”

While the collar may lack

the bulk of a traditional

helmet, Haupt doesn’t

think it is any less flattering

and, certainly, it’s cooler

on a hot day. “The

Hövding helmet has a

loose fit, which means the

air can pass on the inside

of the collar as well as the

outside,” added Haupt.

“Personally I don't think it

is warm in the summer, but

in warmer countries than

Sweden we are considering

making shells with a built in

cooling function.”

For those looking to

ditch the helmet for a collar

don’t need to head to Scandina-

via, where the invisible helmet

is already in stores, rather, it’s

available online. It will come at

a cost however, selling for SEK

3995 or about € 425 (US$526).

“We have been in production

for 6 months already, and are

selling Hövding in stores in

Sweden, Norway and soon also

in Denmark,” said Haupt. “Next

year (2013)Hövding will be

available in many countries in

Europe.”

By Peter Suciu, Detroit, MI

(as published at bikera-

dar.com) *

She's wearing a

Hövding collar

Photo Credit:

© Hövding

A-B-C’s for Caregivers

P A G E 8 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

A. ACKNOWLEDGE and ADMIT

things are different.

B. BALANCE is essential to main-

tain strength and energy long-term.

C. COMMUNICATE your needs.

COPE through self-care.

D. Don’t get DETAINED in DE-

NIAL or DEPRESSION. Don’t DE-

LAY getting help.

E. EDUCATE yourself about avail-

able resources.

F. FOLLOW coping strategies. Be

FEARLESS about the future.

G. GRIEVE appropriately for losses.

GROW in new directions.

H. HOPE. HUMOR. HONESTY.

I. INFORM your friends, extended

family, and employer about your

needs. INFORMATION is power.

J. JOIN support groups.

K. KNOW your limitations. KEEP

your life simple.

L. LISTEN to your body for its

needs.

M. MOVE beyond MEDICAL

MODELS, if needed.

N. NEVER give up. Don’t NE-

GLECT self care.

O. OPEN yourself to new tech-

nologies to help your loved one.

OBSERVE good health practices.

P. PRACTICE being PRO-ACTIVE

to be heard by professionals.

Q. QUESTION things you don’t

understand.

R. RESTORE yourself through

TEST and RECREATION.

S. STAND FIRM on what you be-

lieve is best for your loved one.

Reduce STRESS by following a

SCHEDULE.

T. RAKE TIME for yourself.

U. USE every resource available.

V. VOCABULARY may be confus-

ing. Learn medical

terms as needed.

W. WILLINGLY

accept assistance.

X. Use the XEROX

method - copy strate-

gies and techniques that work for

others.

Y. YELL for help when you need it.

YOU are important too.

Z. ZEALOUSLY guard your pri-

vate time. *

Source: Brainline.org

By

Debbie A.

Leonhardt

Volunteer Centres

are your local lead-

ers in community

engagement

Get involved!

HOLNESS

LAW GROUP

New Concussion Resources

P A G E 9 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

Many important new re-

sources on concussion are

now available at Think-

First’s website, developed

for the project, Preventing

Child and Youth Concussion

in Team Sports. -

www.thinkfirst.ca/

programs/concussion.aspx

The project's aim is to re-

duce the rate and severity of

concussion and brain injury in

child and youth team sports by

reducing its incidence

and improving return to play

decision-making.

Through a contribution

agreement with the Public

Health Agency of Canada,

ThinkFirst Canada, (now Para-

chute), partnered with the

Coaching Association of Can-

ada, the Canadian Centre for

Ethics in Sport and Hockey

Canada to create new materials

for athletes, families, coaches

and officials, educators, health

professionals and others. Those

who attended the 2013 Dr.

Charles Tator Lectureship with

keynote speaker Ken Dryden,

got a first look at some of these

materials.

These include: the Coaching

Association's new concussion

resources in its National

Coaching Certification Pro-

gram, Aboriginal coaching mod-

ules and eLearning modules; the

Canadian Centre for Ethics in

Sport's Active and Safe Ethical

Decision-Making Game, pledge

and self-assessment tool; and

Hockey Canada's concussion

applications for smart phones,

designed for kids and adults.

The Parachute products

include enhancements to our

current concussion programs,

including TD ThinkFirst for Kids

and Brain Day, and a new 3E's

bilingual Concussion Tool Kit,

addressing the issues of engi-

neering, enforcement and edu-

cation. You can find all these at

the Parachute website, along

with links to our partners' ma-

terials.

In related news, the ‘I Think-

First’ contest wrapped up with

three winners announced

from over 50 submissions from

128 students from across Can-

ada. The contest builds upon

lessons learned in the TD Think

First For Kid’s curriculum. Stu-

dents submit creative art pro-

jects, explaining why and how

they "Think First!" to prevent

injury when they are active.

Congratulations to the two

winning classrooms who will be

receiving helmets for their stu-

I Always Wear a Helmet - A Child’s Poem

My bike has a reflector and a comfy seat.

I fasten my special horn

And I try to stay out of the heat.

I always wait for my dad

And help my brother too.

We ride to the park

In our cool bikes that are blue.

~ Unknown

class from Manning Elemen-

tary School, Manning, Alta.,

for their bright and colourful

paintings, and Ms. Englezos'

class from Trinity Montessori

School, Markham, Ont., for

their creative poetry and

short stories. Congratulations

also to our third winner, Han-

nah Malott, Boys and Girls

Club of Sarnia/Lambton,

Ont. Check out all the sub-

missions in our Facebook al-

bum. And here's a sneak peek

at a couple winning entries. *

By: Braeden Lau

Source: Parachute

04/13 Call 604-788-7221

P A G E 1 0

Get

Involved.

Support

your event.

Register

now.

Events: May - June - July - August Brain Injury Golf Classic

July 11, 2013 Redwoods Golf Course, Langley, BC

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - The Fraser Valley Brain Injury Golf Classic will be

held July 11, 2013 at the beautiful Redwoods Golf Course in Langley. Go and

join the fun! Due to popular demand they will be doing the Mega Putt Contest

again. Early bird registration is available! Contact Fraser Valley Brain Injury As-

sociation at 604-557-1913, 1- 866-557-1913 (toll-free) or info@fvbia.org for

more information.

Walk, Run, Wheel for Brain Injury Awareness

June 15th 2013 Registration by May 15th to receive event gift

Cheshire Home Society of British Columbia will be hosting a 5km and 1km wheel,

walk and run event for Brain Injury Awareness month. At the finish line, they invite

you to join them for entertainment, guest speakers and information on the impact of

Acquired Brain Injuries. The event will start and finish at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley

Park, Vancouver, BC.

For more info and/or registration visit: http://www.lcdisability.org/events

BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit Web Workshop Series

May 16th, July18th, All webinars held 10am-11am PST

The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit facilitates a web conference series to

injury practitioners annually. The practitioners include the public health nurses, gov-

ernment organizations, health authorities, and other injury prevention stakeholders –

mostly in BC. They aim to bring forward injury prevention topics that are most fore-

front, prominent and that everyone should know about. The presentations may in-

clude and are not limited to evidence based information and new research. The pres-

entations are one hour long including some time for questions. For more information

on webinar topics and fees please visit the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit.

Workshops at Vancouver Coastal Health

May 29th 2013 all workshops run from 6pm-9pm

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: A Workshop for Family and Friends

This is a a chance for survivors, family and friends to learn about how the brain

works, brain injury and recovery. We will also talk about life after a traumatic brain

injury, including strategies to help and available resources.

G R A Y M A T T E R S Q U A R T E R L Y

P A G E 1 1 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

Building Community Connections

Jan. 16th, Mar. 6th, May 8th, Sept. 11th, Nov. 6th 2013 all workshops run from

6pm-8pm

This is an opportunity for survivors, families and friends of people with a stroke or brain injury

to learn about some of the services and programs available in their communities. Families and

survivors will be able to meet with one another and learn from each others' personal experi-

ences.

Understanding Stroke: a Workshop for Family and Friends

Feb. 13th, Apr. 24th, June 19th 2013 all workshops run from 6pm-9pm

This is a chance for survivors, family and friends to learn about how the brain works, stroke

and recovery. We also talk about life after a stroke, including strategies to help and available

resources.

All workshops will be held in the Social Services Seminar Room (#189, Main Floor) at the GF

Strong Center Rehab Centre.

Location Address:

GF Strong Rehab Centre

4255 Laurel St.

Vancouver, BC V5Z 2G9

To register or for more information contact Sarah Pike sarah.pike@vch.ca or call

604-737-6221.

This intensive workshop provides therapists with the skills to effectively evaluate and treat vis-

ual perceptual dysfunction in adult patients following stroke and head trauma.

Early bird registration deadline is April 1st - $425.00. Regular registration deadline is May 1st -

$485.00. For more information about the workshop or further registration details please con-

tact Kathy Olsen.

Contact: kathy.olsen@albertahealthservices.ca or 403-783-7842

Vancouver Coastal Health Caregiver Support Program

The program offers the following programs and services to support family and

friend caregivers: Education Series and workshops; support groups; telephone

support;information and referral to healthcare and commu-

nity resources; annual caregiver forum; and Caregiver Times quarterly news-

letter. All services are free. Website: http://caregivers.vch.ca

“Falls are a

public health

problem

that is largely

preventable,

yet falls are

the most

common

cause of

nonfatal

injuries and

hospital

admissions

for trauma”

P A G E 1 2

Resources, Support Groups & Societies

ABI Outreach Services

Abbotsford Brain Injury Support Group

Alberni Valley Head Injury Society

Brain Resource, Advocacy & Information Network

BrainTrust Canada - Kelowna

- Vernon

Bulkley Valley Brain Injury Association

Burnaby Chinese Brain Injury Support Group

Campbell River Head Injury Support Society

Caribou Brain Injury Society

Community Brain Injury Program for Child. & Yth

Comox Valley Brain Injury Society

Early Response Brain Injury Services

East Kootenay Brain Injury Association

Fraser Valley Brain Injury Support Group

Golden Brain Injury Support Group

Kamloops Brain Injury Association

Maple Ridge Brain Injury Support Group

Mission Brain Injury Support Group

Nanaimo Brain Injury Society

North Okanagan Shuswap Brain Injury Society

Powell River Brain Injury Society

Sechelt - Sun Shine Coast Brain Injury Support Group

South Ok. Similkameen Brain Injury Society

Shuswap Brain Injury Services

Tri-Cities Brain Injury Support Group

West Kootenay Brain Injury Association

Vancouver Brain Injury Survivors

Victoria Brain Injury Society

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS

Ridge Meadows Caregiver Support Group

Kelowna Caregiver Brain Injury Support Grp

“Know that you

are not alone”

“Seek out re-

sources and

respite”

G R A Y M A T T E R S Q U A R T E R L Y

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Meeting Info. 250-762-3233

Helmet Hair or Long Term Care?

P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 2 - I S S U E 1

head (e.g. concussion, bike

crash, car crash, and falls), vas-

cular injuries, anoxia, metabolic

disease, brain tumors, brain

atrophy, and poisoning. Follow-

ing an extensive rehabilitation,

Greg learned to adapt to his

limitations and to be proactive

in managing and structuring his

life so he can enjoy it to the

fullest. The bike helmet laws in

British Columbia are currently

under attack.

Riders are reluc-

tant to wear a

helmet for short

trips and feel

inconvenienced

by carrying one

around with

them. Greg be-

lieves as a society

we must come

up with creative ways to con-

vince bike riders that wearing a

helmet is safe, fashionable and

should be a common practice.

In reaction to this unfortu-

nately growing, dangerous habit,

Greg has inspired a partnership

between The Cridge Centre for

the Family and the British Colum-

bia Brain Injury Association to

design a unique sticker with a

slogan that will certainly imprint

itself on the target audience’s

subconscious. The campaign’s

goal is to spur bike riders and

sports enthusiasts to become

more safety conscious in re-

gards to head protection.

“We strongly believe that ad-

vocating for such a worthy cause

will help prevent bike riders from

suffering a life-altering disability.

This campaign will build head

injury protection awareness and

help British Columbians to be safe.

“ - 2012 Cridge Brain Injury

Services , Victoria, BC *

About these stickers:

Helmet Hair (HH) 3 inch

‘stickers’ are great for helmets, at

exits, on recreation equipment, on

windows and school binders.

They do help to remind chil-

dren and youth the importance of

wearing their helmets and they

are responsible for their own head

safety.

========================================================

Get 10 Free HH Stickers!...

These are great for youth or

anyone! Businesses may give as

(client or customer) hand-outs

or bag stuffers.

Get these stickers free with any

‘$25 donation’ (or more) to BC

Brain Injury Association to go

towards our work.

We accept donations

by Visa and MasterCard.

Call 604-788-7221

Greg Goldberg, a contractor

in the Cridge Brain Injury Ser-

vices program, was appalled to

learn that a large number of

teenagers and adults simply

refuse to wear a helmet while

riding their bikes. Greg states,

“I was even more appalled to

be informed that the prime

reason causing fear amongst

riders to wear a helmet was ,

prepare yourself, dreaded hel-

met hair.”

Greg’s concern

has spearheaded

a unique and

exciting prov-

ince-wide

sticker cam-

paign scheduled

for distribution

in spring 2013.

Greg’s shock

and dismay with this all too

common reason for not wear-

ing a helmet is further fueled by

his personal experience. Greg

knows firsthand the challenges

and struggle to regain life after

being involved in a horrific car

crash while driving to work in

1998. Although Greg’s injury

was not bicycle related, the

deficits and impact a brain in-

jury had on his life mirrors hun-

dreds, if not thousands, of peo-

ple living with an acquired brain

injury. Each year between 8,000

and 14,000 British Columbians

acquire a brain injury resulting

from an external blow to the

“Keep sports

safe. Make

sure your child

wears

protective gear

during sports

and

recreation. For

example, when

in-line

skating, use

wrist guards,

knee and

elbow pads,

and a helmet“

The number of serious injuries

involving ATVs is growing

faster than that for any other

major type of wheel- or water-

based activity. In 2009–2010,

there were 3,386 hospitaliza-

tions for ATV injuries across

Canada—a 31% increase since

2001–2002. Those at highest

risk of injury were young men

age 15 to 24.

Motor vehicle collisions still

represent the number two cause

of injury in Canada, second

only to falls, with 18,964 hospi-

talizations in 2009–2010. How-

ever, this number has declined

significantly (21%) from 2001–

2002. The summer months,

August in particular, and the

Christmas season represent

peak periods for motor vehicle

collisions.

The number of cycling injuries

remains stable over past decade

but head injuries are on the de-

cline -

Among the provinces, in 2009 -

2010, cycling injury age-adjusted

hospitalization rates were highest in

British Columbia and Alberta and

lowest in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Other highlights from Canadian

Institute for Health Information’s

most recent trauma data:

During June, July and August,

an average of 194 deaths oc-

curred every year in Canada

from all motor vehicle colli-

sions, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)

collisions and summer sports

and recreational activities.

While the annual number of

cycling injury hospitaliza-

tions remained relatively sta-

ble between 2001–2002 and

2009–2010, the number of

cycling-related head injuries

decreased significantly, from

907 to 665, over the same

period.

Lastly, the number of water-

related injuries has remained rela-

tively stable since 2001–2002,

with 331 injuries occurring in

2009–2010.

Mailing Address:

Box 143—11948 207 Street

Maple Ridge, BC V2X 1X7

eMail: info@

bcbraininjuryassociation.com

Donations by Credit Card:

604-788-7221 9am—9pm

Info Resource Line:

604-465-1753

@STOP_ABI

Contact Us:

Did You Know?...

www,bcbraininjuryassociation.com

Just for laughs…”A two-year-old is kind of like

having a blender, but you don't have a top for it.”