It was a route she had run many times before. Ten kilometres from her home in north St. Catharines, across to Henley Island and back.

Kerry Weaver, 56, lived to be active — she ran, cycled, taught aerobics and was on a masters rowing team. But her first love was competing in the sport of race walking. She’d even set a Canadian record for the 5K at a race in Michigan.

She was fit. Strong. Active. Fiercely competitive.

And determined.

So determined, in fact, that a week after being hit by a car in July 1994 while cycling in St. Catharines, she competed in a 20K race near Toronto. She had ended up under the car’s front end after her head hit the hood, pavement and bumper. Her face was left scraped, swollen and bruised.

Continue reading: The Stranger in their body

Calgary Alberta Group marks Brain Injury Awareness Month

Stephanie McCulloch is one of the success stories. A client of the Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency, McCulloch has spent the last 10 years recovering from a severe brain injury, something she’ll continue to do for the rest of her life. “She’s doing amazing,” said Pam McGladdery, executive director at URSA.

“Stephanie is a good example of how brain injury can happen to anyone.” In a crash on a dirt road 10 years ago, McCulloch — a former ad rep at the Calgary Sun — was thrown through the passenger window, suffering a severe head injury.
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Webb family hopes to increase awareness, promote programs related to brain injuries

In an instant, their lives were changed forever.

A speeding car careening out of control with their daughter in the passenger seat resulted in disastrous consequences.

Now, five years after the accident that left their daughter with serious brain injuries, Marita and David Webb of Sackville want to do all they can to help other families in the province cope with similar tragedies.

Read the full article: Local Couple Sprearheading Renewal of NB Provincial Brain Injury Association

Throughout the month of June, the Brain Injury Association of Canada will be putting a face on acquired brain injuries through their ‘Every picture tells a story…” poster campaign. One of those stories is that of Larry Carlson, Manager of Programs for Adults With Disabilities at AEEL.

In his own words, here is Carlson’s story:
It was one of those glorious late autumn days when the sky was clear, the sun was shining and winter hadn’t begun. For no particular reason other than curiosity, I chose a different route than the usual to leave the city. As I was crossing an uncontrolled intersection, my car was hit broadside. The next thing I remember is that the
other driver was standing next to my car and asking if I was hurt.
Read the rest of this entry »

Chris was very badly injured in a car accident on November 3, 2007. This site I hope will keep track and update all progress until we have Chris back to where he can update you himself. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. Kevin

Dr. Chris Bigelow’s Profile
Dr. Chris Bigelow’s Blog

Philip ( The Scorekeeper ), is the 30 year old son of John and Diane Thiessen. He was born in July of 1979, The International Year of the Child, and suffered severe brain injury during a very traumatic labour and delivery. He has proven to be a wonderful blessing and inspiration to his family and all who meet him. It is our intention to share his life in this blog which we hope will encourage any who may find themselves in a similar situation. It will become apparent from the blog entries why he is referred to as ‘ The Scorekeeper ‘

http://philipthescorekeeper.blogspot.com/

Slow, but staggering progress
By Anne McIlroy, From Saturday’s Globe and Mail

His voice is raspy, the words come slowly. Trevor Greene says it is because he no longer has the reflex to breathe before he speaks, so he has to remind himself constantly to take in air while he talks.

Yet that he speaks at all, let alone in front of large crowds, as he did in Toronto this week, defies the grim prognosis that doctors described to his fiancée, Debbie Lepore, when he was in a coma after suffering a horrific brain injury almost four years ago. One physician told her to put him in a long-term-care home. She told herself, “They didn’t know Trevor.” She was right.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Vancouver, B.C.) – Peace Warrior, a moving documentary about Canadian soldier Trevor Greene, his fiancée Debbie Lepore and their struggle to recover from Trevor’s traumatic brain injury has won Canada’s top television honour, the Gemini Award for Best Biography Documentary.

Broadcast across Canada by CTV, Peace Warrior follows Trevor and Debbie for more than a year as Trevor undergoes brain injury rehabilitation at the Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta, one of North America’s leading rehab programs. Trevor, a captain with Vancouver’s Seaforth Highlanders, was injured while serving in Afghanistan in March 2006. He was sitting at a small village meeting and had taken off his helmet as a sign of respect, when he was hit from behind with an axe to his head. He was not expected to live, and his recovery has been a series of near-miracles, aided in no small part by the fierce dedication and determination of his fiancée Debbie. Read the rest of this entry »

* Peace Warrior will re-run this Saturday night June 6 CTV at 7:00 PM.
* Trevor working hard on his legs and feet. His new orthos going on this week.
* He is already standing with limited pressure on both feet
* In May, Trevor was in Halifax, NS and received an Honorary Degree Doctorate of Civil Law from Kings College (His Alma Mater)
* In May, he also spoke at the World Trade and Convention Centre as one of the presenters related to Motivation, and in Honor of the International Day of The Family

The CTV Original Documentary PEACE WARRIOR, Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7 pm – Intimate, one-hour documentary offers an exclusive look into Captain Trevor Greene’s courageous struggle to recover from a horrific axe attack in Afghanistan.
-Canadian Soldier Trevor Greene Defies All Odds.
-Nanaimo soldier’s long journey back
-Video excerpts from the TV show
-Defying the odds, Documentary takes an intimate look into Capt. Trevor Greene’s courageous recovery from an horrific axe attack in Afghanistan.
-Watch the Documentary
-Against All Odds, Ottawa Citizen, December 26, 2008