THE Challenge! – Brain Injury at Every Age

The Summer edition of THE Challenge! focuses on the power of community.

From My Desk

As I’m writing this letter, the Brain Injury Association of America and our advocates are mobilizing to protect funding for federal brain injury programs. A document with proposed budget priorities for the Department of Health and Human Services, which plays a central role in delivering programs, research, and services that support the brain injury community, reflects devastating cuts to key brain injury and disability programs. Among the casualties would be all traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiatives under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the HEADS UP Concussion Education and Prevention Program, the Core State Injury Prevention Program, and the National Concussion Surveillance System. Read more.

Brain Injury at Every Age

While some health conditions are more common within a specific age bracket, brain injuries can happen to anyone – children and teens, young adults in college, middle-aged parents, or the elderly. The Centre for Neuro Skills, a network of neurorehabilitation clinics in California and Texas, has treated brain injury patients of all ages since its founding in 1980. Meet just a few of the resilient CNS patients who sustained brain injuries at different points in their lives. Read more.

Embracing the Journey: Parenting a Child with a Brain Injury

No parent anticipates the words “brain injury.” The uncertainty, the agonizing wait. Yet, it happens, leaving families adrift in a sea of medical jargon and unanswered questions. Doctors offer no certainties, just a terrifying wait. Read more.

Stroke Risk on the Rise

In May 2017, Maddi Niebanck was gearing up for life after college. She had just graduated from Georgetown University and already had a job lined up for her in a new city that would start the following fall. She was looking forward to spending her summer months relaxing and hanging out with friends. Ten days after her graduation, Maddi checked into the hospital for her surgery. However, a pre-operative procedure caused a blood clot to form and burst in her brain, resulting in a massive hemorrhage. Read more.

Concussion Awareness Now Corner

Despite being relatively common occurrences, concussions are still widely misunderstood, with misconceptions about their causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment potentially preventing people from seeking the care they need. To continue to narrow this knowledge gap, during Brain Injury Awareness Month, Concussion Awareness Now (CAN) set out to start the concussion conversation by busting concussion myths. Read more.

Brain Injury Awareness Month 2025: Heroes Don’t Always Wear Capes

March, which is Brain Injury Awareness Month, is always a special time for the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA). It’s an opportunity for us to spotlight the lived experience of brain injury survivors and our community. During this year’s Awareness Month, thousands of volunteers joined our efforts to promote brain injury awareness and education by participating in a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, soliciting donations while sharing information about the complex nature of brain injury. Read more.

Advocacy, Empowerment, Community

The Brain Injury Association of America hosted its first-ever National Brain Injury Conference and Awareness Day event March 3-5, where nearly 400 survivors, caregivers, advocates, professionals, and friends came together in Washington, D.C. for an event celebrating advocacy, empowerment, and community. Read more.

State Affiliate News

See what the Brain Injury Association of America’s Affiliates have been up to. Read more.

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