Turning Tragedy into Awareness

In honor of her daughter Alana, who sustained an acquired brain injury due to a ruptured brain abscess, Angie Garrick is dedicated to educating her community about the realities of brain injury.

In the spring of 2017, Alana Garrick was a vibrant, healthy, and outgoing high school junior. She excelled academically, taking advanced placement classes and preparing for college. But then, she began experiencing persistent migraines.

Her parents took her to the hospital, where doctors initially attributed the headaches to stress. “The doctors would say, ‘she’s working, she’s studying for exams, maybe it’s just a lot on her at this time,’” recalls her mother, Angie Garrick.

Although the migraines would sometimes ease, they never fully went away.

On Friday, June 16, 2017, Alana was taken back to the emergency room. She had been there just weeks earlier, and doctors decided to admit her, planning for a neurologist evaluation the following Monday.

Sadly, that visit would never happen.

That Sunday evening, Alana suffered two seizures. She was then rushed into surgery, where doctors discovered a ruptured brain abscess. She was admitted to the pediatric ICU. Following her initial surgery, the rupture caused severe swelling, resulting in four brain surgeries in one week. By the end of that week, everything had changed.

Alana spent two and a half months in the ICU, followed by 15 months in a pediatric neuro-rehabilitation center. Since that time, she has been unable to walk or speak audibly.

Yet her journey is not defined solely by loss. It is also one of resilience, love, and advocacy.

Throughout it all, Angie has remained by her side, immersing herself in learning about brain injury and sharing that knowledge with others. Early in Alana’s rehabilitation, Angie realized how isolating this experience could be.

“This was something very specific,” she says. “I needed to connect with people who understood.”

Finding BIAA and Raising Awareness

In 2019, Angie discovered the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and began following their work. She donated during Brain Injury Awareness Month and started sharing their resources on social media.

“Most people are like me; I knew nothing about brain injury until Alana had hers,” Angie explains. “I wanted to educate our family and friends about what happened and how we can help her.”

Driven by that mission, Angie organized a fundraiser during Brain Injury Awareness Month, raising nearly $5,000.

“Brain injury isn’t talked about enough,” she says. “Conditions like MS or cancer receive more recognition and support. Brain injury doesn’t have the same level of awareness, however it affects so many. If not us, then who will advocate?”

Through social media, Angie has been able to reach a broad audience and connect with others who are navigating similar challenges.

The Cause: Making the Invisible Visible

For Angie, advocacy is deeply personal. Brain injury is often a silent, invisible illness. While Alana’s condition is visibly severe – she is bedbound and requires full-time care – there are many others who live with impairments that are not immediately apparent.

“They may go to work or school, but struggle with fatigue or limitations others don’t see,” Angie says. “It can be incredibly lonely.”

That loneliness is what Angie hopes to change.

By speaking out, sharing Alana’s story, and supporting organizations like BIAA, she is working to ensure that brain injury is recognized, understood, and supported. Awareness is the first step toward compassion, Angie believes, and no one should have to face this journey alone.

Brain Injury Awareness Month is over, but there’s still an opportunity to support Angie’s fundraising campaign. Donate in honor of Alana on her fundraising page.