The human brain is incredibly complex and fragile. When a blow or jolt to the head occurs, it’s likely that an individual’s brain is somehow adversely affected. In some cases, a brain injury may be considered minor. However, research shows that even brain injuries suffered while playing soccer or falling off a bike can take a toll and impact an individual’s memory and ability to process information. In cases where an individual suffers a brain injury in a car or work accident, the symptoms may be more severe and result in permanent disabilities.
A 12-year-old girl recently described how a traumatic brain injury she suffered at the age of four has impacted her health and life. The young girl was involved in a serious car accident in which she was thrown 20 feet from a car that crashed into a bridge at 60 MPH. As the four-year-old lay in a coma with several injuries to her brain, doctors doubted she would live.
Today, by all appearances the 12-year-old looks like a normal and healthy child. However, the long-term effects of her brain injury make it difficult to learn and retain information which makes school challenging. She also sometimes has difficulty in social situations and feels like friends don’t understand that her brain injury makes it more difficult for her to learn and remember things.
In addition to an individual’s memory and ability to reason being affected, those who suffer a traumatic brain injury may also experience changes in emotion that interfere with their personal relationships and ability to work and function in their everyday lives. Some TBI victims experience emotions such as aggression, anxiety and depression while others suffer intellectual deficiencies.
In the case of the 12-year-old girl, her inability to learn and retain information could make it difficult to graduate from high school or pursue an advanced degree. She may also have difficulty learning job skills and keeping a job which could lead to a life time of financial struggles.
Those who have suffered a TBI may qualify to receive social security disability benefits. SSD benefits provide much-needed monthly income that can help individuals who continue to struggle with the adverse symptoms of their injury and are unable to work.
Source: WHNT, “Young Girl Raises Money & Awareness For The “Silent Epidemic,” Traumatic Brain Injury,” Daniela Perallon, March 25, 2014