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• Craig Sears 42

  wilton, CT United States

  My name is Craig Sears I am a traumatic brain injury survivor. Earlier this year, I've teamed up with the Sarah Jane Brain Project to help promote the need for a national PABI medical plan. The Brain Project heard about me and my story, and they have since used that as part of a nationwide campaign to show an example of what can happen when brain injury goes untreated. It's been an honor and priveledge to be a part of their historic and ground breaking work. In the months since then, I've appeared with Patrick and Sarah Jane Donohue in Washingon DC 7 times. I've even gotten to present my story at the US Capitol. I've also taken part in their nationwide PABI Hero's Tour in Boston, New York, Chicago and Dallas.

  Doctors tell us no two brain injuries are alike, There is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These injuries can result from accidents or assaults. There is Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). These can be from strokes or other medical issues. Then there is Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury (PABI). This is a brain injury to a child or to anyone under the age of 25 years. The brain doesn't fully mature until that age, and this fact is especially important where our Iraq and Afghanistan injured veterans are concerned. Brain injuries are being called the "signature wound" of these conflicts, and most of these victims are 25 or younger. Thousands of vets have suffered head injuries in these conflicts. • If I were to tell you the United States Department of Defense does not have a specific plan classifying the veterans with traumatic brain injury whose brains are still developing (up to age 25) from those who have adult brains; you would say not in MY America For more information please visit

  www.myspace.com/searscraig

  www.craig.sears.blogspot.com

  www.youtube.com/user/craigsearstbi

  www.facebook.com/craig.sears

  Sarah Jane Brain Foundation www.TheBrainProject.org

Comments

• Craig Sears 11 months ago

  Earlier this year, I've teamed up with the Sarah Jane Brain Project to help promote the need for a national PABI medical plan. Patrick Donohue now spearheads a national effort to change the way brain injuries are treated for our children. I've been proud to stand up with him in Washington, D.C., and other cities across the country, like Boston, New York, Chicago, and Dallas to raise awareness on this issue. Sarah Jane's story and my own are just 2 pages from a larger tragedy. The current health care system is failing many who suffer from brain injury. And the effects can be life long and costly. I know that first hand because I am also a survivor.

  Doctors tell us no two brain injuries are alike, There is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These injuries can result from accidents or assaults. There is Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). These can be from strokes or other medical issues.

  Then there is Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury (PABI). This is a brain injury to a child or to anyone under the age of 25 years. The brain doesn't fully mature until that age, and this fact is especially important where our Iraq and Afghanistan injured veterans are concerned. Brain injuries are being called the "signature wound" of these conflicts, and most of these victims are 25 or younger. Thousands of vets have suffered head injuries in these conflicts.

  PABI also covers all falls, motor vehicle accidents, being struck by an object, violence/assault, sports incidents, gunshot wounds, and non-auto related bicycle accidents. PABI can also include all traumatic causes plus brain injuries caused by brain tumors, strokes, lack of oxygen, poisoning and substance abuse. Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury or PTBI is the leading cause of death and disability for children under 15 years of age in the United States. Over five thousand deaths occur annually due to PTBI, over 17-thousand children annually suffer from permanent disability due to PTBI, and over 1-million children are hospitalized each year due to PTBI.

  With so many of our children being hurt each year, you would think that modern medicine would have a handle on this situation, right? Wrong. We have some of the best health care in the world. But when it comes to brain injuries in our children, we have a long way to go to manage that care better.

  Let me tell you why we need a well thought out medical plan for treating PTBI in this country.

  *If I were to tell you a child who was shaken at seven weeks old would not receive a medical evaluation for therapy services for nine months; you would say not in MY America.

  *If I were to tell you the United States Department of Defense does not have a specific plan classifying the veterans with traumatic brain injury whose brains are still developing (up to age 25) from those who have adult brains; you would say not in MY America.

  *If I were to tell you high school football players have died on the field playing the sport because of an undetected brain injury; you would say not in MY America.

  *If I were to tell you the top 20 Pediatric Neurosurgery Departments in our nation do not have a common, evidence based method for treating a child who suffered a head trauma; you would say not in MY America.

  *If I were to tell you there has never been a best-practices study for treating children and young adults with PABI; you would say not in MY America.

  This is just the tip of the iceberg in OUR America for children/youth and their families suffering from PABI. Over 3-million children/youth suffer from a PABI each year with most of them going undetected and therefore untreated. Tens of thousands are permanently disabled and thousands of our most innocent Americans die annually due to PABI.

  (For myself, I wish on that July afternoon 21 years ago, that there was a national PABI plan in place. I wish that the doctors and nurses, and all the cops, judges, and people Who ever had the power over me had a clue about TBI. I wish that when I needed it, there were people to turn to, answers to the questions I didn’t even know I had, and the resources in place for me. I wonder how different my life be today.)

• Craig Sears 12 months ago

  For myself, I wish on that July afternoon 22 years ago, that there was a national PABI plan in place. I wish that the doctors, and nurses, and all the cops, judges, and people whoever had the power over me had a clue about TBI. I wish that when I needed it, there were people to turn to, answers to the questions I didn't even know I had, and the resources in place for me. I wonder how different my life would be today.