Concussion Awareness Now Corner

If you’re a Concussion Awareness Now Champion, you already know that concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). But most Americans don’t know that. In fact, a national public opinion poll from the Brain Injury Association of America found that 81 percent of adults are unaware that concussions are a kind of TBI.

With National Concussion Awareness Day right around the corner – September 19 – it’s the perfect time to let people know that concussions are a type of brain injury. Concussion Awareness Now (CAN) has put together a great toolkit, including an interactive quiz, to help our CAN Champions spread the word about the importance of concussions and that they are, in fact, a brain injury. Check out the toolkit at concussionawarenessnow.org/ncad

On September 9, Concussion Awareness Now hosted a webinar, “Is Concussion a Brain Injury?”, featuring concussion awareness advocates and survivors who shared critical information everyone needs to know about concussion.

The webinar welcomed a dynamic panel addressing why concussions are a serious injury, what makes awareness — and early diagnosis — so critical, and how everyone can help spread concussion awareness. Presenters included Kelly Sarmiento, Director of Outreach Programs, Brain Injury Association of America; Sarah Goody, college student and concussion survivor; and Lindsay Simpson, founder of the Champion Comeback Foundation and concussion survivor.

Watch a recording of the webinar on CAN’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@concussionawarenessnow.

Survivor Stories

Concussions are brain injuries, and for some people, their concussion symptoms can linger for weeks, months, even a lifetime. Through the Brain Injury Association of America’s “My Brain Injury Journey” campaign, several concussion survivors, including Sarah Goody, one of our webinar panelists, shared their concussion stories with us.

Sarah Goody: Concussions Have Reshaped My Purpose

In 2021, I was involved in a surfing accident that led to my first concussion, caused by a collision with an empty kayak and my surfboard. Since then, I’ve experienced five concussions and continue to navigate the realities of post-concussion syndrome and chronic migraines. These experiences have been deeply debilitating and isolating, but they’ve also reshaped how I see myself, my purpose, and my relationships.

Today, as a student at the University of California, Berkeley, I’ve realized how widespread concussions are among young adults. Coming to college, I hoped to leave my history of head injuries behind. But almost immediately, I noticed signs of a concussion epidemic on campus. Whether it was a classmate arriving at lecture in sunglasses with a doctor’s note, overhearing someone in the dining hall mention a recent injury, or witnessing a peer hit their head at a crowded fraternity party, it became clear that head injuries were everywhere.

Perhaps I was more attuned to it, having lived through it myself, but I couldn’t have predicted how many people would reach out to me. Friends began texting me: “I think I have a concussion, what do I do?” At a picnic with my five new roommates, I learned two of them were recovering from recent head injuries.

Being an 18-year-old navigating independence for the first time is difficult enough. Doing it while managing a brain injury adds another layer of challenge. Yet, in this hardship, I found connection. It was both terrifying and comforting to realize I wasn’t alone. Once I started speaking openly about my experiences, I became a resource for others. People around me began to ask for advice, share their own stories, and lean on each other for support.

I’ve learned that I don’t have full control over what happens to me, but I am capable of persisting. I’ve learned to exist, to ask for help, and to offer it. And I’ve come to realize that there’s a whole community of young people quietly navigating the same journey. If you are struggling with a concussion or brain injury, know this: you are not alone.

Isabel Dwyer: A Concussion is a Serious Injury

For the longest time before I suffered my two concussions I thought differently. In competitive and sideline cheerleading, I was taught to push through it, finish out strong and to always do what’s best for your team.

My first concussion occurred in the sixth grade during gym class. My symptoms were not that bad. I experienced a headache and sensitivity to light for a couple of weeks and then was pushed back into cheer before nationals in Florida.

My second concussion on the other hand was nowhere near how I felt with my first one. I got injured during cheer practice. The next morning, I had a bruise on my forehead. I felt dizzy and nauseous. The lights in my room felt too bright. The familiar sound of the tv, my dog barking, and my family talking were suddenly much too loud. I was determined to get through the school day with sunglasses to cheer at that evening’s football game. I made it through the first period before I got sent home. I was diagnosed with a concussion at urgent care and by my pediatrician.

My days were plagued with constant headaches, sensitivity to light, loud noises, and trouble concentrating at school. Teachers did not understand that my thinking was slow and focusing made my head pound. Accommodations varied from class to class which only increased my confusion and anxiety. Some teachers simply did not understand why I could not turn in my work after a week’s extension. My teammates called me a “faker” and stopped talking to me.

Concussions are difficult for some to understand because there are no casts, scars, or crutches to show people that you are hurt. I was accused of lying to get out of practice. That was so hurtful because it was so far from the truth. I was so desperate to get back to cheering that I visited the pediatrician weekly to reassess how I was doing. My recovery was slow compared to the recovery from my first concussion.

Now that I have experienced a concussion, I decided to turn a negative experience into a positive. I strive to advocate for those who are or have struggled with a brain injury. I want to share my story as many times as I can to make a meaningful impact for those who are struggling.

Christina Scheltema: Nothing ‘Mild’ About It

Every nine seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a brain injury. I became one of these people in November 2019, when I had a really bad fall, hitting my head in four places and passing out briefly. I was diagnosed with a concussion, a “mild” traumatic brain injury. Trust me, there was nothing mild about it. I lived in my very own private special effects world for months with changes to my vision and hearing.

Recovery was incredibly slow, with visits to specialists I didn’t know existed and months of speech therapy, vestibular therapy, and vision therapy. That said, I am feeling much better, like my old self. Although I still tire easily, I can now do almost everything I did before my injury. Along the way, I’ve encountered many blessings, including an incredibly kind and supportive brain injury community.

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