Headline Magazine: Fall 2013

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I still remember gettingthe phone call tellingme I was the success-ful candidate chosento set up a non-protsociety in Powell Riverfor adults living withacquired brain injury.We opened our doorson September 10,

2003. Until then, therehad been a monthlyevening support groupfounded by PennyMebs and Eunice Bos-er. There was no schedule or programming, therewas no ofce or ofce equipment, and there was nowebsite or website design team. There was a donat-ed computer and desk, a couple of book shelves anda kitchen table used as the resource centre.

A decade later the Society operates many programs

through a 5-day per week drop in Centre and anofce, which provides support services and coun-

selling. Over theyears there havebeen many changes,including the numberof clients, the numberof staff, the membersof the board of direc-tors, the number ofvolunteers and thebudgetjust to name

a few.

We have become asa family. One of ourdear client members,

Stan Williams, who has since moved back Ontario,coined the term Brainiacs and we are now af-fectionalty know all over the area as the Brainiacs.He said that it had two meanings: brain inaction, orbrain in action. The clients adopted that name and itstuckthey love it.

We recently moved to a new location, which we

consider now to be our permanent home. This isthe second move in ten years and I cannot believeall the stuff we have collected. We operate on theWhat Ever It Takes model (Dr. Barry Willer) and thathas allowed gathering whatever it took for client par-ticipation and growth. I would be remiss not to thankseveral people by name: Sheri Fenton, for believingin our dream, Liz Baron of Vancouver Coastal HealthBrain Injury Supports for allowing us to continue ourdreams over the years, James Richards for beingour constant supporter, Janelle Breese Biagioni for

believing in what we do and the local United Wayand Province of BC for funds. I also need to thankthe board of directors for allowing me the autonomyto set up and operate the Society in the mannerthat we do, the many and varied volunteers and theclients themselves; for providing the motivation eachand every day that makes coming to work a joy. Ihave never seen a group of people more acceptingof each other and accepting of the challenges thatthey now live with. You are all truly inspiring.

POWELL RIVER BRAIN INJURY SOCIETY

Celebates 10 Yars Wth A Nw Location!~Debbie Dee, BMT, FAMI Executive Director

Maestro Arthur Arnold, conductor of the MoscowSymphony Orchestra pays a visit to the Centre,

and calms us all with his beautiful cello.


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newfound knowledge and some good ol fashionedhard work we are all determined to create this sus-tainable space so that we may all utilize and enjoythe results of our gardens.

This project is of great importance to all membersand therefore, none shall be left out, whatever bar-rier may intrude; a pathway will be constructed forthe wheelchair bound and those with difculty walk-ing, raised beds for the plants for those with back or

knee issues, and more.

There is now the option of preparing our meals orsnacks in the ofce, in a fully operational kitchen,which is a feature many of our clients love to haveavailable to them.

There is a lot more freedom available to the cli-ents; and when living with a disability, for mosthidden, any freedoms are a much appreciated anda yearned for thing. As a client of seven years, thePowell River Brain Injury Society and its staff havegiven me so much. They could never begin to real-ize how much my time spent with the group meansto me.

Richard Langlois:

In 1999 I was involved in a car crash. I received abrain injury as well as many physical injuries. Thephysical injuries have for the most healed. The braininjury hasnt. I am getting help from the staff of theSociety to write this blurb because I still have troublewith making sentences and thinking clearly.

I didnt know about any brain injury centres or helpthat I could get until my doctor referred me to thePRBIS. This has become my home away fromhome. I have been a member now for almost twoyears and the thing I notice the most is that even

though I cannot really carry on a conversation verywell, everyone here is patient and helps me and Iam able to actually talk with people here.

Since coming here I have made lots of goodfriendswonderful friends actually. The programsare very helpful and the weekly tness program hasmade me stronger and because of that I dont sufferfrom things like cramping in my feet like I used to.The social activities are fantastic, with things likecommunity potluck meals all the time and the annual

Saying goodbye to the Canada World Youth Students, Cahn and Anna Mariafar left and seated beside

Josh. We have two students annually who come and spend three months.it is a highlight of the year.

Stacy, Anna Maria and Lindachocolate making

day.yum!!


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The Pushor Mitchell Okanagan Conference on BrainInjury, hosted annually by BrainTrust Canada Asso-ciation, took place on June 13th & 14th at the Uni-versity of British Columbias Okanagan campus inKelowna. BrainTrust Canadas primary educational

initiative welcomed over 100 people for two fulldays of information, social connection and network-ing at this exciting new venue replacing the formerNaramata location. The theme, Living Well - Culti-vating Hope and Resilience after Brain Injury, waspromoted through keynote presentations and work-shops delivered by an impressive array of speakersfrom Canada and the United States. The conferencekicked off with an inspirational and moving keynoteaddress by David Roche, actor, published writer,humourist and activist from Vancouver Island. Davidreminded us how important it is to be accepting ofeach and every individual, as everyone has theirown challenge in life whether it is visible or not.David faces his life journey with grace, humour andcourage.

Other highlights of the conference included:Dr. Michael Ungar, a familytherapist and Professor of So-cial Work at Dalhousie Univer-sity in Nova Scotia, discussedthe concept of resilience interms of how well individuals,

families, communities and ser-vice providers work together tohelp vulnerable people navi-gate their way to the resourcesthey need for well-being. Heexplained the importance of providing people withbrain injury with what they want and need in order tocreate well-being and a powerful identity, with bene-ts being increased self-esteem and risk reduction.He also discovered that greater numbers of servicesdoes not necessarily translate to greater levels of

resilience. Rather, individual service providers canmake changes, such as being multi-level and eco-logically complex in their delivery to positively impactthose they serve.

Dr. Shaun Gray, Associate Professor and Direc-tor of the Division of PhysicalMedicine and Rehabilitationin the Faculty of Medicine andDentistry at the University ofAlberta, discussed the manyand varied behavioural chan-ges associated with braininjury. These include frustrationintolerance, impulsivity and de-pression among other changes.

One study showed that 66% ofindividuals with brain injury had at least one person-ality change after brain injury. He also discussedthe complexity of treatments for such behaviouraloutcomes including pharmacology, behaviour-basedtreatments such as CBT and environmental inter-ventions. He acknowledges that to date evidenceto guide practice in this area is sparse. It is import-ant that practitioners gain an understanding of theissues of behavioural outcome and treatment aspeople experiencing them are at greater risk of dif-

culties such as incarceration and self-harm in thecommunity.

Dr. Al Condeluci is the ChiefExecutive Ofcer of UPCCLASS, a community basedorganization in Pittsburgh,PA dedicated to persons withdisabilities and rooted in thephilosophy of creating a com-munity where each belongs.He spoke on the topic of social

capital - the value and benetsassociated with a persons rela-tionships in the community. Dr. Condeluci advocatesfor the non-labeling of individuals with disabilitiesof any kind. He explains that social problems stemnot from individual differences, but from the failureof society to accommodate the differences, and heproposes that the basic needs for anyone in life aresimple: a job, a house and a friend. Yet, sadly hisstudies show 76% of people with disability are un-employed and only 6% own their own home.

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This book published

in 2011 by an expertauthor comes ve

years after MichaelCosss car accident

and resulting braininjury. In these ve

years, Michael has had a variety of unusual experi-ences due to this unfortunate incident.

From coma to reawakening and relearning to walk

inch by inch, Michael has been determined to re-gain his full health--all while keeping a smile on hisface.

While Michael is passionate about hyperbaric

oxygen therapy (HBOT), which he credits withreawakening him from his coma, he has also spent

countless hours pursuing other therapies to regainnormalcy in his life. Many hours have also been

spent raising funds for the Rick Hansen Founda-

tion for spinal cord injuries and beginning his ownfoundation to help pay for HBOT for children. Salesof his book are being directed to the Michael Coss

Brain Injury Foundation for this purpose.

This book covers his experiences with Watsu,speech therapy, the Lokomat machine and special-ized kinesiology--most of these therapies are not

yet well known. He mentions his energizing experi-ences with the seminar Discovering the Power In

Me from the WorkSafe BC program, Stand Up forMental Health and Wheelchair Curling. Michael

also shares information about his experience livingin a group home environment and the support he

received there. Michael includes words of advice toother TBI survivors as well as their families.

It took a few years to complete, yet, letter by letter

on the keyboard, Michael crafted this book. It paral-lels the way he has gathered a team of therapists

and pieced together a life that includes sailing,horseback riding and celebrating special eventswith his friends and family. Most recently he set

a goal to train for and

complete a one-kilo-metre walk for the Terry

Fox event and he did itin under one hour!

I have always believedMichael could walk

again, even when he wasnt able to yet. What I

wasnt prepared for was the incredible inspiration hehas become for so many. I would recommend thisbook if a brain injury has affected you or someone in

your life. While the therapies he mentions may notbe convenient to your location, they are worth know-

ing about!

Meantime, what you can do is model Michaelsprocess:

Keep exploring Commit to something and really work at it

Build a team that works well with each otherstherapies Have an inspiration that keeps you getting up

every morning, too!

And most of all, believe that things can improve.Every inch adds up!

Book review by Denise Cambiotti, specialized kinesiology

practitioner located in Coquitlam, BC. (604) 936-5463

Book Review: The Courage to Come Back: Triumph Over TBI--A Story of Hopeby Denise Cambiotti, specialized kinesiology practitioner

The Courage to Come Back: Triumph Over TBI--A Story of Hopeby Michael Coss, Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor


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Abbotsford Carol Paetkau 604-557-1913 TF 1-866-557-1913

Acquired Brain Injury Society of the Yukon Anne-Marie Yahn 867-668-5283

Alberni Valley Head Injury Society/Port Alberni Linda Kenny 250-724-6772

Barriere/Merritt Terry-Lynne Stone 250-372-1799

British Columbia Brain Injury Association Deborah St. Jean 604-465-1783

Brain Trust Canada Laurie Denton 250-762-3233

Brain Trust Canada - Vernon Contact Marcie McLeod 250-307-6064

Bulkley Valley Brain Injury Association Michaela Slipp 250-877-7723

Burnaby Chinese Brain Injury Support Group Angela Kan 604-877-8606

Campbell River Head Injury Support Society Shelley Howard 250-287-4323

Caribou Brain Injury Society Stacy Turcotte 250-392-7772

Chilliwack FVBIA 604-557-1913 TF 1-866-557-1913

Comox Valley Head Injury Society Cathy Stotts 250-334-9225

East Kootenay Brain Injury Association Karen Stermer 250-417-6220

Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association Carol Paetkau 604-557-1913 TF 1-866-557-1913

Golden East Kootenay Brain Injury Association Debbie Gudjonson 250-344-5674

Kamloops Brain Injury Association Terry-Lynn Stone 250-372-1799

KBIA - Barriere/Merrit Contact Terry-Lynn Stone 250-372-1799

Langley/Aldergrove Brain Injury Support Group FVBIA 604-557-1913 TF 1-866-557-1913

Maple Ridge Support Group Nora Chambers 604-462-9392

Mission FVBIA 604-557-1913 TF 1-866-557-1913

Nanaimo Brain Injury Society Mark Busby 250-753-5600

New Westminster Headway Gabrielle Pape 604.520.0130

B.R.A.I.N. (Brain Resource, Advocacy & Information Network) Tina Suter 604-540-9234

North Okanagan Shuswap Brain Injury Society (Salmon Arm/Shuswap) Robyn Coatta 250-833-1140

Northern Brain Injury Association Carmen Jose 1-866-979-4673

Powell River Brain Injury Society Deborah Dee 1-866-499-6065

Prince George Brain Injured Group Society Alison Hagreen 250-564-2447 TF 1-866-564-2447

Sechelt/Sunshine Coast Brain Injury Support Group Susan Goddard 604-885-8524

Semiahmoo House Society Acquired Brain Injury Services Office 604-592-1006 Local 230

South Okanagan Similkameen Brain Injury Society Dave Head 250-490-0613

Terrace Brain Injury Support Group NBIA 1-866-979-4673

TriCities Support Group Sandy Caverly 604-916-5027

Vancouver Headway Leah Pentilla 604.732.4446

Vancouver Survivors Support Group Lillian Wong 604-873-2385

Victoria Brain Injury Society Nicole Nelson 250-598-9339

West Coast Support Network Wanda McAvoy 250-726-7459

West Kootenay Brain Injury Association Kelly Johnson 250-304-1259

*Please email name and phone number changes to [email protected] to ensure this list is kept as up-to-date as possible.

Powell River Brain Injury Society is moving to new digs. Please note our new address: #101-7020 Duncan Street Powell River V8A 1V9

BC BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATIONS &*This list updated Fall Issue, 2013 SupportGroups


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Headline Magazine: Fall 2013

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