Dave joined the Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association’s PhotoClub with a simple point and shoot camera. He now works with a Nikon D 7100, is considered to be a semi-pro camera, and has a variety of lenses. His photos can be seen on the FVBIA website. Dave has become a gifted photographer, and donates many of his prints to the various fundraising efforts sponsored by the Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association. He has been featured in Headline and BC Disability magazines. When ‘life gets in the way’, Dave reaches for his camera and heads out on a photoshoot to escape […]

Sean attends every art class the Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association puts on. He has a unique painting style, incorporating vivid color into basic figures. Sean’s mother called to ensure he had a place in the February 2016 class, explaining that Sean had experienced some significant health changes, and has not been happy for quite awhile. She hoped his attendance in the art class would raise his spirits. To the surprise of everyone, Sean chose to do a particularly difficult piece that incorporated perspective work in shades of grays and browns (which he had not done before, and now must […]

A client who works for the Powell River Brain Injury Society Nutrition, Cooking and Gardening Program discovered hidden talent in the kitchen. We talked about value added product ideas, and having a market garden, we were thinking of selling the specialized compost and soil blend we created, and some of the produce. We had such an abundance of peppers, that she tried her hand at creating her own hot pepper sauces. They are so delicious, and so popular, that we are now getting ready to take her sauces to the next stage. We need to create a permanent recipe, make […]

Brandy R, a Langley Coffee and Chat participant, is passionate about raising awareness for how an acquired brain injury changes a person’s life, as well as the lives of their family. She helped organize “Light Up the Heavens for Brain Injury Awareness” on March 31, 2016, for Brain Injury Awareness Day. Twenty-five people (FVBIA clients/supporters along with Cheshire Home clients/supporters) attended. Brandy arranged for a reporter from the Langley Times to come. He took pictures, and interviewed Jane M. for an article that was published in the April 6, 2016 paper. This story resulted in a residential program for young […]

Prior to her brain injury, ‘M’ was leading a busy, full life. She enjoyed her job teaching others, and was always on the go. Then, in the winter of 2015, M had a dissection of her carotid artery, which left her with a brain injury. Unable to return to work, M felt lost and alone. She had difficulty describing her feelings and thoughts, found decisions overwhelming, and tired quickly from any form of concentration. Her ability to form short term memories and organize herself was impacted, and she found herself overwhelmed, flooded, and unable to cope with simple tasks. As […]

South Okanagan Similkameen Brain Injury Society (SOSBIS) received funding to offer individualized support services to clients in order to achieve paid employment, and to upgrade computer services. Supports include communicating with employers, helping the client worker to understand the scope of the work, and skill building for timely attendance at work. SOSBIS has assisted 19 clients with support since this funding became available. One of the supported clients now plans on going into business for himself. He is working toward purchasing his own equipment, including a trailer to transport equipment, in order to start his own yard maintenance business and […]

Prince George Brain Injured Group received funding for critical concerns, to increase operational efficiencies, to create and produce their Rebuilding after Brain Injury course, and to run a pilot brain injury education course in a Corrections facility for both staff and inmates. The Correction Acquired Brain Injury Education program has achieved a positive increase in coping scores for 87% of the inmates who have completed the program. When changes in group scores for pre and post program coping levels are considered, there was a positive increase in 10 of 16 areas. The life changing 22 week Rebuilding After Brain Injury […]

Powell River Brain Injury Society received funding to meet organizational needs, and to expand their amazing healthy and green initiatives, providing support, education, and advocacy through goal specific unique programming. The Nutrition, Cooking and Gardening Program provides clients with the skill set required to work at the Centre’s garden and kitchen. Clients learn to do garden maintenance, harvest the bounty, and preserve delicious home grown food. One client had not worked since a car crash ten years before that had left him feeling suicidal and with an acquired brain injury. He reported the first day of work he was standing […]

North Okanagan Shuswap Brain Injury Society received funding for critical needs, to hire a support worker, and to run a work search program. The support worker has contributed greatly to the office, and improved client service. There have been many positive outcomes such as: A middle-aged woman entered the NOSBIS office in April, 2016 looking for information on brain injury. The support worker asked if she could be of any other assistance. The woman began to share her struggles with headaches and being unable to sleep. She had just moved away from her family in Vancouver, and needed someone to […]

Northern Brain Injury Association received funding for critical infrastructure, and to provide regional services, community development, brain injury education, injury prevention, as well as case management (direct and remote) and professional development. Funding from the Brain Injury Alliance assisted the NBIA to provide community education events, develop educational videos, create family support materials and resources, provide education to health care providers, provide community health centres with information and materials to distribute, as well as supply public facilities (such as ski hills and skateparks) with injury prevention posters, handouts, etc. Funding also allowed the NBIA to expand outreach to sport communities, […]