March is an important month of the year for many brain injury patients, activists and doctors. It marks the start of a month-long campaign referred to as the ‘Brain Injury Awareness Month’. People from all over the globe celebrates and engages in public awareness events during this time of the year.
Brain injury patients, physicians, activists, therapists and many more people take part in nationwide programmes, events, fundraising programmes and many other public awareness events that are hosted by local Brain Injury Associations.
So, where did it all start from?
The History Of Brain Injury Awareness Month
During the 1980s, the number of brain injuries and overall fatalities recurring due to this type of injuries rose at an alarming rate. To spread awareness of such injuries, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) started a campaign, calling March as the Brain Injury Awareness Month.
Since then, it has been more than three decades since the ‘Brain Injury Awareness Month’ is being celebrated. As time passed by, this event slowly gained popularity.
Currently, many organizations from all over the world celebrates March as the ‘Brain Injury Awareness Month’, holding public events, seminars, public awareness campaigns, fundraising campaigns and many more on this occasion.
The Main Agenda
The ‘Brain Injury Awareness Month’ was started to provide an incentive for educating the general public about brain injuries and what actually goes through the people with brain injuries and their families.
Every two years a theme is chosen by the governing body i.e, Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA).
The theme for 2018 upto 2020 is Change Your Mind. The theme will be observed across social media platforms using the hashtag #ChangeYourMind.
The theme aims to:
Empower the people who have survived brain injury and their caregiver
De-stigmatize brain injury through outreach within the brain injury community
Promote all types of support available to the people who are living with brain injury
Create awareness across all local and international communities
Activities During This Month
The Brain Injury Communities all over the world celebrate this month with a wide variety of events that are aimed to make lives easier for the people suffering from brain injury.
Most hold public awareness events where a seminar is held on the significance of brain injury and what really goes through the patient’s and the caregiver’s minds during the whole process of recovering. The seminars also focus on creating awareness to reduce and possibly prevent the number of brain injuries.
Many charitable organizations and rehabilitation centers look for donations and holds fundraising programme that are aimed to enhance the lifestyle of the people suffering from brain injuries.
People also create awareness in social media platforms, volunteer in awareness events, donate, help to fundraise or just help a family of a brain injury patient.
The Popularity: Past, Present And Beyond
The number of brain injury related deaths are continually rising. In a report, it was cited that over 2.5 million Americans suffer from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) each year. Along with that, more than 3 million Americans live with long-term disabilities as a result of brain injury and millions more suffer from the residual effects of less severe TBIs.
This has led to an increased awareness for brain injury, which led to the eventual growth of the brain injury community.
With the advent of social media, connecting people has become easier than ever. This has helped organizations reach out to the public at scale, spreading awareness among them.
At present, people have become more compassionate towards people suffering from brain injuries and the people who takes care of them. There has also been an eventual growth of the number of charitable organizations and rehabilitation centers working with the brain injury patients.
With all the awareness campaigns, it is just a matter of time until everyone realize that brain injury is not necessarily a threat and it can be cured by therapy and rehab.
Some Important Facts And Stats On Brain Injury
More than 3.5 million traumatic brain injuries occured in 2017, as cited in CDC
99% of the NFL players suffer from brain concussions
19.5% of high school athletes had severe brain concussions
Brain injury costs more than $400,000 over a lifetime
Over 50,000 people die from brain injury annually
47% of ER visits were for brain injuries from 2007 to 2013.
70% of all sports and recreation-related brain injuries were reported in people ages 19 and younger.
Conclusion
March has been a trademark month for Brain Injury Awareness for three decades, and is continuing to uphold the legacy of creating awareness about the people suffering from brain injuries and what goes through their caregivers.
Since its inception in the late 1980s, the Brain Injury Awareness Month has gained massive popularity. Today, brain injury communities and organizations from all over the world celebrates the month holding public events, seminars, public awareness campaigns, fundraising campaigns and many other events.
Brain injury is one of the leading cause of death among youths in the world, and it can have serious impact on the patients and the people who look after them. This is why it’s our responsibility to ensure that we do our best to make things easier for them!