Members of the Western New England University student Neuro Club recently spent time at a local quilt shop during the third annual Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness event, “With T’ea There is Hope.” The event was organized and hosted by Valerie Morton, owner of Quilts & Treasures in East Longmeadow, for her friend Nancy Power who suffers from TBI. Nancy and her husband, Steve, are the owners of Venezian Monumental Works in Springfield, where Nancy was injured when a 3,000-pound slab of granite fell on her. To support TBI treatment and research, Morton and the Powers established a research fund at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital located in Boston, MA.
At the event, the University student Neuro Club hosted an education table where attendees were able to observe a variety of preserved brains and listen to students present information on bike helmet safety and topics related to concussions, including the long-term consequences of childhood concussion. Attendees were particularly interested in advances in technology to benefit current TBI research. The students’ participation was an overwhelming success and they were asked to return for next year’s event.
TBI is a silent epidemic that currently affects 5.3 million Americans. It is called a silent epidemic because many people suffer cognitively and emotionally, though often there is no physical signs of the injury. Falls are the leading cause of TBI, followed by motor vehicle-traffic injuries.
Learn more information about Traumatic Brain Injury and ways to support research.
