My name is Brenda Clayton and I’m the survivor of a brain injury. I am a volunteer for the Victoria Brain Injury Society (VBIS). I volunteer as part of the Student Head Injury Neuro Education (SHINE) program at VBIS that aims to increase the awareness of the physical, emotional, social and spiritual consequences of brain injury. This presentation is offered for free to middle and high schools in the Greater Victoria area and communities south of the Malahat.
We need to encourage kids to take care of their heads, one of the most vital organs of the body. Think of your head as an egg. Your skull is only as thick as three pennies. The yoke is the brain. Put it in a fitted helmet and toss it. The egg doesn’t break—a major injury or even death can be avoided.
However, a concussion (a mild traumatic brain injury) could still occur. The yolk, even if contained in a helmet, can become damaged in the shell. But how can we tell if the shell appears to be fine? That’s what makes concussions so easy to miss. We conducted anonymous polls through the SHINE program, and found that on average, seven in 10 kids have experienced a diagnosed or suspected concussion before graduating.
Concussions are brain injuries, and if people don’t recover properly from them, they can have long-term impacts. During my recovery, one of my psychologists told me to think of my brain “as a battery that makes everything work.” Everything is controlled by your brain including your hearing, sight, smell, thoughts, feelings, movement and so on.
SHINE Facilitators share this with students:
“It’s important to note that you can receive a concussion without even hitting your head, so we need to be aware of the symptoms. Red flag symptoms include dizziness, changes in behaviour, nausea and vomiting, whiplash, vision disturbances and agitation. It can take two days for symptoms to show up; it is vital we seek out medical attention if we notice these symptoms in a friend or ourselves.”
VBIS advocates for kids to wear head protection because HIP (Head Injury Protection) kids wear helmets! I challenge parents to ensure their kids are wearing a helmet when they are riding a bike, rollerblades, skateboard and during sports.
