Brain Injury Association of Virginia holds rally at State Capitol
A rally was held last week at the Virginia State Capitol to advocate for brain injury awareness. Each year, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head […]
A rally was held last week at the Virginia State Capitol to advocate for brain injury awareness. Each year, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild” to “severe.”
An estimated 1.7 million people sustain a TBI annually. Of those who are affected, 52,000 die; 275,000 are hospitalized and 1.365 million (nearly 80 percent) are treated and released from an emergency department.
TBI is a contributing factor to a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States and about 75 percent of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other forms of mild traumatic brain injury(MTBI).
The Brain Injury Association of Virginia held the rally as part of its 14 th Annual Brain Injury Awareness Day on Feb. 1. Attendees had the opportunity to meet with legislators, dozens of survivors, advocates and caretakers of people with brain injuries, according to an article by Fredericksburg.com. The rally was a call for improvements in service for those who have experienced traumatic brain injury and are disabled.
“Because of a budget deficit, in October the state cut $375,000 in funds for brain injury services, the rally’s organizers said,” the article reads.
Several lawmakers have introduced budget amendments to help people with brain injuries:
- Sen. Janet Howell of Fairfax County and Del. Brenda Pogge of James City County have proposed restoring the $375,000 that was cut last year.
- Sen. John Edwards of Roanoke and Del. Nick Rush of Montgomery County want to provide an additional $1 million to expand and support brain injury services in Virginia.
- Pogge and Sen. David Marsden of Fairfax County have called for improvements in collecting and analyzing data about Virginians with brain injuries and the services they need.
Nearly 168,000 Virginians are disabled as a result of a traumatic brain injury, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
