Michael Coss Mentors UBC Healthcare Students

Michael Coss

To know Michael, is to know his favourite quote, “Anything is possible, if you believe.”

As part of Michael’s ongoing commitment to making continued physical and cognitive progress, he is mentoring three healthcare students from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

The Interprofessional Mentors Health Program at UBC, requires Michael to make a nine-month commitment to share his experience navigating the Healthcare system over the last 16 years.

The program brings together students from different health disciplines to learn from mentors living with a chronic condition or a disability or who is a caregiver. The groups are self-directed and bring together four students and the mentor during the Fall and Winter Terms.

Michael says, […]

Anything is Possible

We’re excited to announce our next event of ‘Anything is Possible’ is scheduled for Saturday, October 29th at 4pm (EST). We are thrilled to be joined by speakers, Sheldon Guy, and Janet Omstead. Please see the poster attached for additional information. The story of Sheldon Guy can be seen here on this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QlQ8aQPnDM.

As you have previously joined our zooms or expressed interest, we wanted you to be the first to know.

Availability is limited, so make sure to sign up on Eventbrite using the link provided: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/anything-is-possible-a-conversation-about-traumatic-brain-injury-5-tickets-305554009267

This event is organized by The GenWell Project, a NFP that addresses the issues of […]

Canadian Royal Purple Organizes Canada-Wide Purple Thursday on October 20th

Canadian Royal Purple Purple Thursday

Canadian Royal Purple Organizes Canada-wide Purple Thursday on October 20^th

“Stop the Violence” and “Paint Your Town Purple” have become key slogans for the Canadian Royal Purple. October 20^th, the third Thursday in October, will be recognized as Canadian Royal Purple’s first annual Purple Thursday.

“Our campaign is two-fold this year,” says National President, Sandi Lougheed of Beechy, SK. “We will engage in a major education and awareness campaign […]

Medically Assisted Dying & People in Poverty

wheel chair

A shocking 4 in 10 Canadians living in poverty are also individuals living with a disability. On October 8, 2022, Global News aired The New Reality report which states that it is poverty, rather than pain, that is driving individuals to choose medically assisted death.

Last year, the federal government expanded eligibility for folks who are NOT terminally ill for medically assisted death. In March, it is anticipated further expansion will include individuals living with mental illness.

Click here for the full video.

The controversary is not about individuals who are terminally ill and choose medically assisted dying. This report is about individuals with a disability who are […]

Neurotrauma Consultant Fired Following Evaluation of Tua Tagovailoa

Tuo Tagovailoa, quarterba football head injury ck for the Miami Dolphins, stumbled and fell, hitting the back of his head on the ground during the September 25th game.

The unffiliated neurotrauma consultant, who evaluated Tagovailoa, cleared him to return to play in the third quarter. As a result of what several sources declared to be “several mistakes” made during the evaluation, the neurotrauma consultant has been fired.

The quarterback played again on September 29th in the Dolphins’ home loss to the Cinncinati Bengals. Tagovailoa struck his head again during this game when tackled. Tagovailoa was immediately taken off the field and assessed and has now been sidelined indefinitely.

Click here for the full […]

BC Brain Injury Association Seeks Volunteers

Bruce Willis Diagnosed with Aphasia

In March 2022, Bruce Willis’ family announced on social media that he is stepping away from a long career as an actor following a diagnosis of aphasia. Willis’ family, in the past, had made comments on the actor’s memory challenges. The Los Angeles Times reported that in recent years, accommodations were made on film sets because of these struggles.

Willis began his career in theatre and then became known on television in the hilarious series Moonlighting, with Cybil Shepherd. He advanced his acting career from television to the big screen and appeared in approximately 150 movies, including Die Hard and Pulp Fiction.

Aphasia impacts a person’s ability to understand language. The individual […]

The Road Ahead: Next Exit Hope! For Ages 5 and Up.

Little ones thrive on structure and routine. They also need fun, joy, mud puddles, and life to be carefree. When a parent or sibling, or a loved one sustain a brain injury those carefree days disappear – in an instant.

Children as young as five years of age are aware of significant changes at home. They may not understand or be able to put into words how they feel, what they are afraid of, or even know what to ask, but they too, will be impacted by a brain injury in the family. It impacts everyone.

Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association (FVBIA) intends for the booklet The Road Ahead: Next Exit Hope! For Ages 5 and Up to help families […]

The Road Ahead: Next Exit Hope! For Ages 11 and Up.

Preteens, teens, young adults are navigating a new path for themselves. These tender years are fraught with pressures in school, post secondary education, career options and more. It’s a lot. Add into the mix the sudden changes from a parent, sibling, or loved one sustaining a brain injury and their world is completely turned upside down.

What is a brain injury and how will it impact my loved one? These are prominent questions. What does it mean for me and how do I fit into this new life with them? These are the questions that are asked in silence.

Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association (FVBIA) intends for the booklet The Road Ahead: Next Exit Hope! For Ages 11 and […]

FVBIA Employers Guide to ABI 2022

The Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association (FVBIA) have recently developed some important resources.

The Employers Guide to ABI 2022 aims to support employers who are not familiar with an acquired brain injury. Returning to meaningful activity, including employment when possible, is a central goal for many individuals who have sustained an acquired brain injury. Having purpose, connections, and being able to contribute to one’s community is important for everyone, especially for those folks who are working to redesign their life.

FVBIA’s Employers Guide to ABI provides valuable information on how the brain is impacted and some simple tips on how to assist employees with ABI to be successful in the workplace.

Additional Resources:

The Journey […]

Virtual Caregivers Support Group

When a person suffers from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), their loved ones are catapulted into the caregiver role to support and look after their injured family member. Relationships, responsibilities, and roles shift suddenly, which can be confusing and overwhelming for the non-injured caregiver.

Chuck Jung Associates and Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association will be launching a Virtual Caregivers Support Group in March of 2022. From March to August of 2022, the group will meet monthly for 90-minutes to engage in discussions to provide important information and teach skills that will help caregivers negotiate and manage a new role in their life. These groups are free of charge.

WHAT? Monthly Caregiver Support Group

WHERE? Virtual

WHEN? 6-Monthly […]

The BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA) Celebrates 40 Years of Service & Forms a Strategic Alliance with the CGB Centre for Traumatic Life Losses

Brainstreams.ca is the official website of the BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA). We are excited to announce fourty years of service in British Columbia. BCBIA was founded in 1982 and incorporated in 1983.

Throughout the years, BCBIA has been the voice of the brain injury community, evolving from providing direct services to joining forces with the Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference Society (PCBICS) in 2012, to becoming the provincial resource for online education and networking through Brainstreams.ca.

BCBIA is evolving again. We have formalized a Strategic Alliance with the Constable Gerald Breese Centre for Traumatic Life Losses (CGB) under the leadership […]

British Columbia hosts its first annual Concussion Awareness Week.

September 26th to October 2nd is British Columbia’s first annual Concussion Awareness Week. The BC Injury, Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) and Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) have partners to run a campaing aimed at raising awareness about concussion and to encourage British Columbians to learn how to prevent, recognize, respond to, and manage this invisible injury.

Each year in BC, 600 individuals are hospitalized for a a concussion, and an estimated 14,500 visit the emergency departments.

In an article from BCIRPU, Dr. Shelina Babul is quoted, “When well-managed, approximately 70 to 85 per cent of concussions will resolve without complication,” says Dr. Shelina Babul, associate director and sports injury specialist […]

What is this video about?

Cultivating Kindness is the story behind Opportunity Landing, a non-profit society dedicated to developing and maintaining a space for inclusive, accessible community gardens in Langley BC.

Juliet Henderson-Rahbar, is a board member of the BC Brain Injury Association, and the Leader for Connect Communities in Langley—a place where people who’ve survived a life-altering brain injury can begin to redesign their lives in the community. Earlier this year, Juliet came across an article on Opportunity landing in the Langley Advance Times https://www.langleyadvancetimes.com/news/new-langley-community-garden-gets-test-run-this-spring-at-twu/.

After seeing the design and the nearby location, Juliet knew this inclusive, outdoor space accessible to the people supported at CONNECT would be a tremendous opportunity. Like everyone else, CONNECT had just completed the first year […]

Accessible Voting In Canada

Canada Flag Parliament Buildings Ottawa

All citizens of voting age have the right to vote. For the election to be fair, and for the voice of Canadians to be heard, there is a responsibility to ensure voters are given every opportunity to exercise their rights.

Who can vote? To vote in Canada, the individual must be 18 years or older, a Canadian citizen and be able to provide acceptable proof of identity and address. It’s important to keep Elections Canada up to date with any change of address.

What is accessible voting?

Accessible voting ensures Canadians who are eligible to vote, have access to cast their ballot when an election takes place. When choosing where polling […]

Brain Injury Housing Needs Survey

Family Advocates for Brain Injury Survivors

The Family Advocates for Brain Injury Survivors is a committee of the CGB Centre for Traumatic Life Losses.

The purpose of the committee is to determine affordable and accessible housing and support solutions for individuals living with a brain injury. Specifically, the members are comprised of parents, survivors, family representatives, and research students with a vested interest in the development of “Forever Homes” with supports for survivors of brain injury.

Roles and Responsibilities

Identify ways to raise awareness and come up with strategies to achieve better housing support.
Research the current housing and living supports available for individuals with disabilities.
Collaborate with survivors and families to […]

Intimate partner violence and brain injury: the invisible disability meets the silent pandemic.

1 in 4 women in Canada will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime. In Canada, it is estimated that more than 200,000 women a year receive brain injuries inflicted by their intimate partners, with up to 92% of IPV incidents involving hits or punches to the head or face, banging of the head against a hard object, or strangulation. It is reported that for every one NHL player who sustains a concussion in sport, 5,500 Canadian women sustain the same injury from IPV. Survivors of IPV are at an increased risk of experiencing adverse medical health outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety […]

A National Hidden Disability Symbol: It is time. It is right. It is needed.

Consider becoming an ally and join the movement for a national Hidden Disability Symbol in Canada.

Co-founders of the Hidden Disability Symbol (HSDC) movement are: Maeri Perra, Communications Manager, Brain Injury Society of Toronto, Michelle McDonald, Executive Director, Brain Injury Canada, and Laura Brydges, Member of the hidden disability community, and Administrator, facebook.com/HiddenDisability.

This team has prepared a communication kit for individuals or organizations to release before August 24, 2021.

The kit includes:

Media release for local media outlets.
Letter to […]

Campbell River Head Injury Support Society

Campbell River Head Injury Support Society The breathtaking community of Campbell River is world-renown for a few things. Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, it is a short 1.5 hour drive from Nanaimo, and boasts pristine scenery and wildlife, snow-capped mountains, and claims the title of Salmon Capital of Canada. This thriving city is on the Salish Sea and has an abundance of Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye Salmon; residents and visitors can enjoy fishing year-round.

In addition to low crime and low unemployment rates, this city ensures its community members thrive by providing important services. In particular, the Campbell River Head Injury Support Society (CRHISS) serves nearly five hundred survivors of brain […]

Navigating Your Recovery Journey

Part 4: Being Active in Your Own Recovery

What is this video about?

The BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA) has created a series of short videos (6-11 minutes each) that highlight scenarios that we think are important for individuals and families to have information about, as they navigate ICBC’s Accident Benefit Coverage system.

When ICBC introduced changes to its Accident Benefits Coverage in April, 2019, we knew that many people would have questions, particularly if they had suffered a brain injury as a result of a motor vehicle accident. We started out by creating a series of blog posts intended to help provide information to our stakeholders about the claims […]

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Michael Coss Mentors UBC Healthcare Students

Anything is Possible

Canadian Royal Purple Organizes Canada-Wide Purple Thursday on October 20th

Medically Assisted Dying & People in Poverty

Neurotrauma Consultant Fired Following Evaluation of Tua Tagovailoa

BC Brain Injury Association Seeks Volunteers

Bruce Willis Diagnosed with Aphasia

The Road Ahead: Next Exit Hope! For Ages 5 and Up.

The Road Ahead: Next Exit Hope! For Ages 11 and Up.

FVBIA Employers Guide to ABI 2022

Additional Resources:

Virtual Caregivers Support Group

BC Brain Injury Association Celebrates 40 Years of Service

The BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA) Celebrates 40 Years of Service & Forms a Strategic Alliance with the CGB Centre for Traumatic Life Losses

Concussion Awareness Week in B.C. Sept. 26th – Oct. 2nd.

British Columbia hosts its first annual Concussion Awareness Week.

Cultivating Community is Cultivating Kindness

What is this video about?

Accessible Voting In Canada

What is accessible voting?

Brain Injury Housing Needs Survey

Intimate partner violence and brain injury: the invisible disability meets the silent pandemic.

National Hidden Disability Symbol

A National Hidden Disability Symbol: It is time. It is right. It is needed.

Campbell River Head Injury Support Society

Video Series Part 4 – Motor Vehicle Brain Injury

Navigating Your Recovery Journey

Part 4: Being Active in Your Own Recovery

What is this video about?