Editor, Gazette-Journal:

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. A brain injury can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. Brain injuries do not discriminate—it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, what sex or race, or how rich or poor you are. A brain injury occurs at the rate of one every 18 seconds. More than 1.7 million people sustain a brain injury each year from a fall, a motor vehicle accident, a sports-related injury, or a medical event like a stroke. An injury that happens in an instant can bring a lifetime of physical, cognitive, and behavior challenges, but early and adequate access to care can greatly increase overall quality of life and make those challenges a little less difficult.

The Brain Injury Association of Virginia is proud to join advocates across the country to recognize March as Brain Injury Awareness Month, honoring the millions of people with brain injury who, with proper acute care, therapeutic rehabilitation, and adequate long-term supports, are living with the successes and challenges that each day brings.

I encourage everyone to visit our agency’s website, http://www.biav.net, to learn more about brain injury and what you can do to help the Brain Injury Association of Virginia continue to raise awareness of the impact of brain injury in our state and the need for adequate treatment and long-term care for brain injury survivors.

Martha M. Hall, CBIS

MP/NN Regional Resource Coordinator

Brain Injury Association of Virginia