Why More Than My Brain Injury Matters

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. More than 300,000 Virginians are living with brain injury-related disabilities.

A brain injury can change the way you think, act, move, and feel. The brain can be hurt in many different ways: falls, sports, car accidents, assault, strokes, and brain tumors. Brain injuries can affect every aspect of someone’s life, such as:

• Headaches and chronic pain
• Balance problems
• Sensory changes
• Sleep problems
• Personality, mood, and behavior changes
• Changes in thinking and communication

Adjusting to life after brain injury can be challenging. And sometimes, accepting changes within yourself can be even more challenging.

“Too often, people are defined by their disabilities. The More Than My Brain Injury campaign gives individuals a chance to overcome those definitions, allowing them to tell their own stories.”

– Susan H. Connors, President and CEO, Brain Injury Association of America

The More Than My Brain Injury campaign provides a platform for educating the public about the incidence of brain injury. It aims to de-stigmatize the injury, highlight the diversity of the brain injury community, and empower those who have survived.

You will see the More Than My Brain Injury campaign icon a lot this month. The green face represents the individual, and it’s placement in front of the brain is meant to illustrate that the individual is a person first – not only a person with a brain injury.

The main message of this campaign is empowerment. Many people with disabilities have their lives defined for them. The More Than My Brain Injury campaign gives individuals a chance to overcome those definitions, allowing them to tell their own stories and change the narratives of their lives.

The other message in this campaign is reducing stigma and showcasing diversity. To help reduce stigma surrounding brain injury, we are sharing the stories of real Virginians throughout the month and how they are More Than their Brain Injury on our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

“We must speak up about traumatic brain injury to promote research, improve outcomes, and assist survivors, caregivers, and families to obtain necessary treatment.”

– Shana De Caro, Chairwoman of Board of Directors, Brain Injury Association of America

How you can get involved:

• Share your story on social media using the #MoreThanMyBrainInjury
• Follow, like and share our posts so that others can see
• Learn more about Brain Injury in our extensive Resource Library
• Get involved with our advocacy efforts
• Donate or become a member so we can continue our work

Visit our Brain Injury Awareness Month page to learn more!