In 2016, I was travelling for work when my car was hit head-on by a distracted driver who veered out of the opposite lane. I was rushed to the ER with injuries to my head and neck. The hospital staff said it was a miracle I survived and wasn’t more seriously hurt. I was sent home the same day.
I tried to return to my regular activities, but everything felt so much harder than before the accident. It wasn’t until I met with my family doctor that I realized I was suffering from the symptoms of a severe concussion.
Before my injury, I led an active life with my family and worked in a medical administrative position. But afterward, I experienced ongoing blurry vision, dizziness, nausea, memory loss, headaches, anxiety, and difficulty following conversations in social settings. Any one of these symptoms would be hard on its own, but as a busy mom of three, they made each day feel impossible. Simple tasks could take me hours or even days to recover from. I was struggling.
Thankfully, my doctor told me about the Brain Care Centre’s Concussion Program. For the first time, I didn’t have to face this alone. I joined the Concussion Support Group, and everything started to change.
“It was such a revelation—hearing the struggles of others,” I shared. Through the program, I began to understand my injury better, which helped relieve the guilt I felt about my symptoms.
Working with an Occupational Therapist, I learned how to recognize my symptoms, how to rest when I needed to, and how to make steady improvements at work. “The staff at Brain Care Centre taught me to break down my goals into manageable challenges that you can win.”
Counselling through the program also helped ease my anxiety—especially around driving. “I would keep driving, even though I was scared. To come to Brain Care Centre at the end of that drive and share my challenges—it was such a gift.”.
Four years after the accident, my therapies at Brain Care Centre came to an end. I felt strong, healthy, and ready to move forward. Today, I’m able to work again, be an active mom, and enjoy so many of the things in life that we all take for granted.
But none of this would have been possible without you.
I honestly can’t imagine what would happen to people with brain injuries in our community if Brain Care Centre wasn’t there for them. I know there’s so much going on right now—new priorities, financial pressures, and an uncertain economy—and it’s not easy to ask for support. But I also know that no matter what is happening in the world, your care and compassion for people like me has not changed.
