Edie Wren

In Childhood I was trafficked and abused with drugs and punched in my head by my adopted father. I struggled in school. Later in young adulthood I was able to find my abuser and testify against him on behalf of myself and hundreds of children. He was sentenced to 2 life sentences and is currently serving time.

In 2012 I fell and struck the back of my head on a metal plate while at work. I suffered a TBI in my Occipital Lobe. It took me time to recover from left sided weakness and stuttering.

I went back to my career in Ophthalmology in 2015. I struggled with cognitive deficits and requested reasonable accommodations 3 times. I was denied reasonable accommodations three times. I eventually collapsed and began having seizures. I was placed on family medical leave and could not return to work per my doctors. I then had a stroke and a heart attack from the stress.

I was displaced and became homeless with a brain injury. I began living in my car. While fighting for my rights, I was also trying to care for my son and brother whom both had been in a car accident and struggled with addictions and brain injury. My brother took his own life after his brain injury. I eventually found stable housing through Westside CARES in Colorado Springs and recovered again. I am now advocating in my community sharing the OBISSS and doing OBISSS screenings at Westside CARES under Colorado Brain Injury Outreach, LLC, which I started in August of 2026.

I have been on the local news stations supporting and advocating for MINDSOURCE Colorado and in front of Colorado Springs City Counsel advocating against the Car Camping Ban Ordinance and expressing concern for the link between brain injury and homelessness and incarceration. I have written some letters to my local news paper, The Gazette, with deeper concerns as well.

In April of 2026 I successfully collaborated with the Colorado Department of Corrections asking the Chief of Behavioral Health team to place TBI resources on the incarcerated individuals personal tablets as well as the AHEAD learning module. They accommodated my request and now CDOC has TBI resources on the individuals personal tablet.

I continue to advocate for Boots on the Ground Initiatives here in El Paso County Colorado for those with cognitive deficits that cannot find their way to community resources. I continue to bring awareness, educate and ask for resources for Brain Injury. I am currently writing a book on my experience as a brain injury survivor, losing my career, becoming homeless, advocating for myself and those that cannot advocate for themselves.

Those with severe brain injuries cannot navigate digital/virtual technology and get displaced and misunderstood often becoming homeless or incarcerated and have no family to help them. It is imperative that we speak about and make Brain Injury cognitive deficits awareness NORMAL. Brain Injury and Mental Illness are not the same thing and proper diagnosis and medical help is crucial.