Newport Beach, CA, (March 16, 2021) GLOBE NEWSWIRE
March is Brain Injury Awareness month, a time to acknowledge and support the millions of Americans impacted by brain injury and honor the 5.3 Million Americans Living with Brain Injury. Coastline College's Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program is partnering with Brain Education Strategies & Technology (BEST) and Global Brain Injury Awareness (GBIA) to help spread awareness, using social media (@coastlineabiprogram, @coastlineabi, @bestbrainorg, @global_bia), to reach a global audience. Together we are supporting the Brain Injury Association of America's (BIAA) #morethanmybraininjury campaign.
The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, chaired by Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has scheduled a virtual Brain Injury Awareness Day briefing for Wednesday, March 3, 2021 from 2-4 p.m. (ET). The event, "The impact of COVID-19 on Persons with Brain Injury" will be moderated by BIAA National Medical Director Brent Masel, M.D.
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is any injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. ABIs - from trauma, stroke, infectious diseases, and brain tumors - are a serious public health issue. In the United States, alone, someone sustains a brain injury every nine seconds. According to available data, more than 5.3 million Americans live with brain injury-related disabilities at a cost exceeding $76.5 billion dollars (2010 statistic) annually.
The #morethanmybraininjury campaign provides a platform for educating the public about the incidence of brain injury. It aims to de-stigmatize the injury, highlight the diversity of the brain injury community, and empower those who have survived. Join us each day of March to view short videos with insights provided by brain injury survivors and their caregivers as they answer various questions about brain injury.
"Coastline's ABI Program is so excited to be partnering with BEST and GBIA to provide education and awareness, globally using social media. Special thanks to the survivors and their families for agreeing to share their experiences and insights. Please check in each day of the Month of March for education, insight, and inspiration," said Celeste Ryan, Coordinator Special Programs and Services at Coastline College.
Coastline's ABI Program is a demanding one-year educational program designed to provide structured cognitive retraining for adults who have sustained a brain injury due to traumatic or non-traumatic injuries. Visit https://www.coastline.edu/abi. Individuals interested in learning more about Coastline College's Acquired Brain Injury Program offered in Orange County CA and anywhere via distance learning may call (714-241-6214 or specialprograms@coastline.edu).
Brain Education Strategies & Technology (BEST) provides tools and building blocks to help manage and navigate day-to-day hurdles. The goal is to teach individuals to use smart devices as a cognitive prosthetic. Visit https://bestconnections.org to learn more.
Global Brain Injury Awareness CIC (GBIA) is a world-wide, non-profit organization in the UK. They provide information about brain injury to help survivors, their families, and caregivers understand what has happened to a person with a brain injury. Visit https://globalbia.org to learn more.