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BIAMD's 5-Thoughts Friday - 10/21/2016
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Here are the 5 things we thought were worth sharing with you this week:
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What we heard and thought you should too...
Tens of thousands of Americans with disabilities
have lost their voting rights.
Tens of thousands of Americans with disabilities have lost their voting rights. It usually happens when a court assigns a legal guardian to handle their affairs. Now, some of those affected are fighting to get back those rights.
David Rector recently went to Superior Court in San Diego, Calif., to file a request to have his voting rights restored. Rector lost those rights in 2011 when his fiance, Rosalind Alexander-Kasparik, was appointed his conservator after a brain injury left him unable to walk or speak.
Alexander-Kasparik says he was still able to communicate his wishes to a court clerk.
"He did manage to say through his electronic voice on his eye-tracking device, 'I, David Rector, want my voting rights restored, immediately,'" she told supporters outside the courthouse.
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What we saw that we thought you should know...
NFL says it will cooperate on requested
review of research grant process
House leaders are asking the Office of Inspector General to review a government agency's process for awarding a research grant that became a subject of controversy earlier this year.
And the NFL says it looks forward to cooperating in the review of the National Institutes of Health, months after a Democratic staff report accused the league of inappropriate attempts to influence the grant selection process - allegations the league has vehemently denied.
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People we are watching that we thought we thought you might be interested in as well...
Give Back to the Community
Just 6 months after a near-fatal car accident left Caroline
Jordan of Glen Burnie, Maryland with a Traumatic Brain Injury, she was joined by family, friends and the community that have supported her throughout to celebrate her 23
rd
birthday.
Caroline's progress has been remarkable and is attributed to her fighting spirit, faith and the love and support of not just her family and friends, but the medical community and advocates who have been by her side. As Caroline began to plan her party-an otherwise routine exercise that was beyond hope in the months immediately following the accident--she wanted to find a way to give back to the community.
That desire to give back became reality on Sunday, October 9, 2016 when Caroline partnered with the Greene Turtle of Pasadena to host a birthday party to would benefit the Brain Injury Association of Maryland. Through its Funds for Friends program, the Greene Turtle Pasadena
donated a percentage of the day's receipts to BIAMD.
More than 7
0 people came out to cheer her on in her recovery resulting in $194.00 being raised for
BIAMD's programs and initiatives.
"I am so grateful for the support I received during my recovery and I wanted to help others in some way," remarked Caroline. "The Brain Injury Association of Maryland has been there as an advocate for me, even when I was unable to guide my own progress, by providing resources and support to my family."
On hand to accept the donation was Caitlin Starr, Manager of Support Services, of the Brain Injury Association of Maryland.
"We are grateful to Caroline, her family and the Greene Turtle of Pasadena for their partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Maryland," remarked Caitlin. "We strive to bring health, hope and healing to all Marylanders living with brain injury, their families and the professionals who serve them."
Also recognized that night were the three men that rescued Caroline from her vehicle in the moments following the accident. They were presented with Executive Citations signed by Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh for their quick response and sharp instincts that saved the life of another. Caroline and her family also expressed their gratitude for their heroic efforts and how they, and their families, will always be connected.
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What we're reading that you might enjoy ...
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In the vein of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking
, Kara Stanley tells the compelling story of her husband's life-changing brain and spinal cord injury and the role of music, science, and love in recovery.Part recovery narrative and part love story, interwoven with the latest research on the brain,Fallen
describes the aftermath of a life-threatening brain and spinal cord injury.
In 2008, Simon Paradis stepped backward on the scaffolding where he was doing construction work and fell two stories to the hard stone tile below. Landing on his back, head, and spine, he suffered a severe brain and spinal cord injury. Doctors warned his wife, Kara Stanley, that he probably would not survive, and that if he did, his mind and his body would never be the same. In Fallen
, Kara Stanley chronicles the effect of this catastrophic accident on both Simon and her and on their marriage.
Combining the heart-wrenching narrative of Simon's recovery with the latest research on the brain, the book elucidates the resilience of both the human heart and the human mind. It also describes the transformative role of music in Simon's life both before and during his continuing rehabilitation and his hard-fought battle to return.
(If you decide to buy it, don't forget to use Amazon Smile and select the Brain Injury Association of Maryland as your donation beneficiary.)
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Quote we are contemplating...
There comes a point when you have to realize that you'll never be good enought for some people. The question is,
is that your problem or theirs?
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Did you enjoy 5-Thoughts Friday? If so, please forward this email to a friend! Got a story we need to follow or share? Send it to info@biamd.org.
Want to find a story from a past 5 Thoughts Friday, visit the archive by clicking HERE.
Please let us know your requests and suggestions by emailing us at info@biamd.org or contacting us on
Twitter.
Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Let us know! Just
send a tweet to
@biamd1
and put #5ThoughtsFriday in there so we can find it.
Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful weekend.
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BIAMD LINKS | Brain Injury Association of Maryland | 800.221.6443 |
info@biamd.org |
www.biamd.org
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