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When her son Tim was 17, a serious ski accident changed his life forever. Now 31, his mother says his path has taken many difficult turns.“In the 14 years that have passed, he has fallen through the cracks in the system,” she said. “He‘s been in jail, he‘s been homeless, he‘s been inappropriately served in psychiatric institutions, and he‘s received a patchwork of services.” After much hard work and doubtless heartache, the family was finally able to find the right services for him. Now living in a facility where he can receive consistent 24-hour support, Tim has been able to make some “amazing gains” in the past few years, including participating in a drama group, Shaver said. “But he‘s been through the gamut.” Experiences like Tim‘s are unfortunately all too common, says Ontario Alliance for Action on Brain Injury (OAABI) representative John Kumpf, who noted that nearly 500,000 people in Ontario are currently living with a brain injury-related disability. “That‘s not including the families. One of the things I often say is brain injury doesn‘t happen to individuals – it happens to families,” said Kumpf. “It has a tremendous impact on families.” The OAABI was in Thunder Bay on Tuesday as part of a provincial tour to raise awareness among the public and policy-makers about the multitude of struggles faced by people affected by brain injuries. “If you‘re not aware of the challenges they face, it‘s hard to accommodate them. It‘s hard to have any empathy for them,” Kumpf said. Since brain injuries are a “very invisible disability,” it‘s easy for the condition to slip by unnoticed, undiagnosed and unsupported, he said, adding that no two brain injuries are alike. “The range in brain injuries is substantial – that would include everything from concussions to severe brain injuries that leave people with physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioural disabilities,” said Kumpf. “There‘s no cookie-cutter response either, that‘s the other thing.” The OAABI says more supports are needed to help those with brain injuries and it is calling on the province for more assistance. The supports include more day programs and an increase in proper residential facilities. Residential support is especially a concern in Thunder Bay, said Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario executive director Alice Bellavance. “We have eight beds and we currently have 45 people waiting for those beds,” she said. “Just to put that in perspective, 23 of those 45 people are living with aging parents. Of those 23, 13 have just one parent left.” Top of Page |
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September 2, 2010, 8:22 am |