Share Compassion

Hands reaching out to each other

As I watched the Los Angeles fires, all I could think of was how I understood what people were going through as they attempted to put their lives back together. The experience is much the same for people who have a TBI. There is so much to process as you learn about your disability and what life looks like afterward. However, there are some key differences.

A Brain Injured person almost immediately loses all their acquaintances, then friends, and finally family. Most people who end up with a TBI lose everything. There are a blessed 15% of people who maintain relationships from their pre-TBI life. For me, all of the support I have I gained months after sustaining my injury.

Since there is a lack of support, we should acknowledge that 190 people lose their lives every day because of their TBI and that a Brain Injured person is 2.25 more likely to commit suicide when compared to people without a brain injury. That’s why support for people who have TBIs is so vital to their well-being!

Of course, my heart goes out to the 27 people who lost their lives during those dreadful fires, and to the countless number of people who must rebuild their lives from scratch. We must all continue to share compassion for all people despite the ugliness of life. It’s our mission from God, after all!