Music and Guitar aid in Brain Injury Survivor’s Recovery

Allan Boss, a CBC radio producer living in Alberta, credits music and guitar playing to aiding in his recovery following a brain injury.

Music has been found to have a variety of beneficial effects on brain injury recovery in several ways, including emotional and psychological support, cognitive stimulation, motor rehabilitation, speech and language recovery, mood enhancement and stress reduction, and social interaction and engagement.

Boss also credits ‘resilience and grit’ for his recovery. He states “I’m sure that music and guitar were a big part of why my brain healed as well as it did. As I’ve learned, music enhances neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to adapt and change due to training and experience. […]

Voices of Brain Injury (VBI)

Voices of Brain Injury (VBI) was founded during COVID-19 with the aim of bridging the gap between the general public and the brain injury community.

We conduct online interviews with brain injury survivors, healthcare workers, caregivers, and family members; VBI hopes to help raise awareness of the challenges that survivors face, while also giving individuals a platform to share their stories and inspire others.

Our team was grown to 25 volunteers from across the world, contributing by conducting interviews, writing research and informative posts, hosting webinars and various other projects.

To learn more about us, visit our site, Voices of Brain Injury. Follow @voicesofbraininjury on Instagram […]

Call for Stories!

BC Brain Injury Association (BCBIA) is celebrating 40 years of service. Over the years, many stories of survivors overcoming adversity have been shared. These stories are powerful. As part of our celebration, BCBIA is actively seeking inspirational stories from individuals and families living with a brain injury to publish on Brainstreams.

We know that rehabilitation and recovery is a very long process. People need hope, encouragement, and unlimited cheerleaders to rebuild life after brain injury. It is our intention to share stories of triumph and success to inspire and give hope. Join us and share your story today.

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Blind Sighted by Anne Mok – TEDxSFU

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

~ Helen Keller (1880 – 1968)

Helen Keller, after becoming ill at the age of two, which resulted in her becoming deaf and blind, grew up to become a world-renown author, disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer. In an eerie similarity, at the tender age of three, Anne Mok began experiencing vision challenges and she too, has grown to become an amazing woman dedicated to creating change.

“I’m a digital storyteller seeking beauty with purpose and inspiration to the visually impaired community to make the view accessible.”

In her TEDxSFU talk,

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Michael Coss Mentors UBC Healthcare Students

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, […]

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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 […]

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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 aim to support employers who are not familiar with an acquired brain injury. Returning to meaningful activity, including employement when possible, is a central goal for many individuals who has 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 […]

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Cultivating Community is Cultivating Kindness

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 […]

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Fathers and Sons

Small actions, big rewards.

For those of you who have children, you no doubt wonder, as I did, how they are faring living with a parent with an ABI. Ours is a unique situation as our now teenage son doesn’t know his dad any other way than with the ABI. It’s a mixed blessing, I’m sure. He didn’t know how dad struggled with him as a child, knowing that his child’s brain and body was often quicker than his own would allow. Our son is thoughtful, conscientious, and aware of everything. Always has been. And that’s a tough match for the parent who isn’t so quick and sure […]

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Video Series Part 1 – Motor Vehicle Brain Injury

Navigating Your Recovery Journey

Part 1: ICBC Accident Benefits Coverage

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 […]

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The Faces of Brain Injury

Behind every brain injury diagnosis is a real person. We are pleased to share The Faces of Brain Injury, a series of digital posters sharing a brief snapshot into the lives of brain injury survivors.

Click on the poster to view, or individual names: Michael Coss, Toni King, Kresimir Kero,

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Research Study: The Experiences of Self-Identity, Self-Awareness, and Occupational Engagement in Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury

Dr. Julia Schmidt, PhD, BSC (OT) is the Principal Investigator of a new research study on the experiences of self-identity, self-awareness, and occupational engagement in individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Are you interested in sharing your experiences of life after traumatic brain injury? If so, your involvement includes completing five questionnaires and an intereview. Click here to view a larger image.

The questionnaires will take approximately 45 minutes and will ask you about:

demographic data (example: age)

issues related to your injury

how you perceive yourself

your abilities

your daily activities

The interview will take approximately 40 to 60 minutes and will ask you about:

your injury

how you perceive yourself

your […]

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Finding Purpose in What You Love

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 6 of 6)

This is the sixth post in Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors. If you missed the beginning of Tony’s Journey, click here to read it.

It’s been eleven years since Tony’s first stroke. In that time, he’s had his share of ups and downs–and learned some pretty big life lessons. “It’s all part of the process,” Tony says. In his view, recovery is a continuous, lifelong journey.

Throughout Between The Lines, Tony has shared his experiences and […]

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Slowing Down and Getting Back to Basics

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 5 of 6)

This is the fifth post in Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors. If you missed the beginning of Tony’s Journey, click here to read it.

Before his first stroke, Tony was a busy guy. As a husband and father of two, Tony spent his days driving his kids to sports practice, cooking for the family, and in general being a pretty involved family man–on top of working a fast-paced full-time job.

When the stroke happened, all of that came to a […]

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How Counselling Holds Families Together

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 4 of 6)

This is the fourth post in Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors. If you missed the beginning of Tony’s Journey, click here to read it.

Ask Tony (or any stroke survivor) and he’ll tell you that the toughest part of having a stroke isn’t surviving–it’s recovering.

After an intensive week in the hospital, Tony returned home to continue his recovery. It was frustrating, grappling with his new reality; he was limited physically, so he couldn’t do many […]

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Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors

Tony’s Journey: Introduction (Part 1 of 6)

Here’s the thing about acquired brain injuries: everyone’s experience is different. For some, recovery might be fairly quick, and for others, it might be a lifelong process. That’s why we created Between the Lines–to give brain injury survivors a platform to share their unique story.

In this series, brain injury survivor Tony Mok shares his experience with an acquired brain injury, and all that he’s learned from the recovery process. But first, let’s paint a picture of him for you: Tony is a congenial, loving husband […]

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The Compassionate Voice

A little compassion and kindness go a long way in life. This is especially true with brain injury. The aftermath of brain injury impacts everyone. It affects the individual in significant ways. It brings change to a family on many levels, and it has extraordinary consequences for the spouse or partner.

Brain injury shrouds the entire family with a cloak of uncertainty and aloneness. Everyone is met with the challenge of rebuilding life, often from ground zero. This is incredibly difficult when the outside world’s perception is “you look like the same family, so behave like the same family.” It takes courage, resiliency, stick-to-itiveness, and most of all, self-compassion to keep putting one […]

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Facing Real Fears is the Key to Recovery

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 3 of 6)

This is the third post in Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors. If you missed the beginning of Tony’s Journey, click here to read it.

In 2009, Tony Mok had his first stroke. Luckily, his wife recognized the signs, called 911, and he was rushed to hospital for medical treatment.

But let’s back up for a second: why was it so important for Tony to get to the hospital as soon as possible?

A stroke is what happens
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Stroke Awareness Saves Lives

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 2 of 6)

This is the second post in Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors. If you missed the beginning of Tony’s Journey, click here to read it.

Every year, there are over 62,000 new strokes in Canada. And every year, 14,000 Canadians die from stroke. Tony is one of the survivors–and it’s thanks to his wife, Ann-Marie, for taking action.

One Friday night in 2009, Tony and his wife were going through their regular routine, chatting with each other while getting ready for bed. […]

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Time to Talk Traumatic Brain Injury Podcast

Time to Talk Traumatic Brain injury is a podcast created by survivors of brain injury. It is dedicated to traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors who are doing their best to live a healthy and productive life post injury. In this podcast you will hear from survivors, caregivers, medical professionals, and others!

Several of the Time to Talk Traumatic Brain Injury podcasts are currently and will continue to feature interviews with doctors and physiotherapists working in the field of brain injury, as well as others in the medical field including occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other rehabilitation experts. Most importantly, the voices of actual survivors will talk about how they […]

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Survivors’ Stories

Voices of Brain Injury (VBI)

Blind Sighted by Anne Mok – TEDxSFU

“I’m a digital storyteller seeking beauty with purpose and inspiration to the visually impaired community to make the view accessible.”

Michael Coss Mentors UBC Healthcare Students

Anything is Possible

FVBIA Employers Guide to ABI 2022

Additional Resources:

Cultivating Community is Cultivating Kindness

What is this video about?

Fathers and Sons

Video Series Part 1 – Motor Vehicle Brain Injury

Navigating Your Recovery Journey

Part 1: ICBC Accident Benefits Coverage

What is this video about?

The Faces of Brain Injury

Research Study: The Experiences of Self-Identity, Self-Awareness, and Occupational Engagement in Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury

Finding Purpose in What You Love

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 6 of 6)

Slowing Down and Getting Back to Basics

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 5 of 6)

How Counselling Holds Families Together

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 4 of 6)

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors

Tony’s Journey: Introduction (Part 1 of 6)

The Compassionate Voice

Facing Real Fears is the Key to Recovery

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 3 of 6)

Stroke Awareness Saves Lives

Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – (Part 2 of 6)

Time to Talk Traumatic Brain Injury Podcast