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About Us The Brain Injury Recovery Network is non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims and families of brain and other serious injuries. The Brain Injury Recovery Network is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit corporation.
Our goal is to see that victims of brain injuries are given every chance possible to recover.
We provide practical, actionable advice from people who have suffered through the same experience. We try to educate, commiserate, and help buoy the spirits of the victims and families as we all deal with this terrible tragedy. We provide information and support for both the crisis and the long-term care phases of recovery as well as prevention programs. We do not give medical advice or suggest particular treatments for your loved ones. Instead, we try to inform you of some of the possible options so that you can weigh those options with the specifics of your situation and participate with the medical team to make the best decisions you can at the time. If our programs and goals described below match with your interests please help use carry out our plans with your generous donation. You can use our online donation capability or call us toll free at 1-877-810-2100. Your help will certainly be appreciated.
Programs Below are brief descriptions of the main programs The Brain Injury Recovery Network has in development. Success in securing funding will impact the speed and comprehensiveness of the initial implementations. The programs are categorized by phase; the crisis phase, the long-term phase, and prevention. Your feedback on these programs or suggestions for others is welcome. You can email us at: help@tbirecovery.org
Crisis Phase The Crisis Phase is certainly the most trying. You are not sure if your loved one is going to live or die. They may be on life support and completely unable to move. The doctors are talking about brain damage which scares you just to hear the words. They are also talking about ICP levels and all kinds of other things you have never heard of. You are being asked numerous questions, some that may affect the outcome of your loved one’s life from this point forward. All of these things are coming at you fast and furious and you don’t even have time to stop and do what you really need to do and that is to grieve for your loved one. We hope to make a difference… We want to provide very practical, actionable advice from people who have already lived through the same nightmare. We want to explain some of the events that are happening and prepare the families for what may come next. We want to make the families aware of some of the available options to take into consideration as they discuss the plan of care with their medical team. Below are highlights of some of the specific programs we will implement: Web Site – The Web site will be the main vehicle to deliver our information worldwide. We will post original content, link to other information on the Web, and create forums for visitors to interact. Information Guides – The Information Guides will include subsets of our content tuned to particular issues or timing. For example, we will have an overall guide for each of the phases. In addition, we will create guides for specific topics such as what to expect in the ICU or alternative therapies. We will work with hospitals and doctors offices to allow us to place our materials there. In Person Visits – We plan on making visits to hospitals to talk with the families. Our family was fortunate to have people speak to us about their experiences and we found it very informative and inspirational. We will expand this service as we build our staff and volunteer organization. Help Line – We have established a toll-free help line to answer questions from families nationwide. Once a person calls in we will ask if we can follow up with them and then call them back to continue to help them in the process. The number is 1-877-810-2100.
Long-Term Phase The shift to the Long-Term Phase from the Crisis Phase is at first a blessing. You are so thankful that the doctors have given you some assurance that the patient is stabilized. Then the reality sets in. You wonder if the victim is going to recover and how completely. The adage of one step forward and two back proves much too real. You now get to join the fellowship of us who make dealing with insurance companies, therapists, social agencies, and on and on a daily event. Web Site – The Web site will be the main vehicle to deliver our information worldwide. We will post original content, link to other information on the Web, and create forums for visitors to interact. Information Guides – The Information Guides will include subsets of our content tuned to particular issues or timing. For example, we will have an overall guide for each of the phases. In addition, we will create guides for specific topics such as what to expect in the ICU or alternative therapies. We will work with hospitals and doctors offices to allow us to place our materials there. Interactive Best Practices – We will use the Web site and other means to collect family experiences as to what therapies and practices they have found to work or not work. We will also have an area dedicated to dealing with insurance or support agencies where we will post things like sample letters of medical necessity. New Therapies, Research Developments – We will track new developments in treatment options and rehabilitation methods around the globe and share that information on the Web or in hard copy formats. We will create special interest sections for hot topics such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy where we collect research and opinions, both pro and con, along with patient experiences and comments.
Prevention There is only one way to fully recover from a brain injury and that is to prevent it from happening in the first place. We will create prevention programs to attempt to lower the incidence of brain injuries. We have a wealth of experience developing presentations for the corporate world including multimedia presentations aimed at large groups such as sales meetings. We will use that experience to develop high quality, focused presentations that are interesting and captivating yet still get the message across. We will never be able to completely eliminate brain injuries because so many occur as a result of accidents but perhaps we can reduce the number by reducing the contributory factors that come into play. High School Program – We envision this program as a high-energy interactive, multimedia presentation that mixes the rather sober message of brain injuries with music, video, and audience participation. We will identify some of the high risk behaviors that can lead to brain injury and try to press the message to stop and think before you act. This group is the primary target since it is the most likely to be injured. Adult Program – The adult program is aimed at parents and civic groups. It will be a milder version of the high school program with a little more information and the music toned down a little. Elementary School Program – The focus for this group will be more on helmets and we may seek out partnerships to cooperate with other groups that have helmet programs underway. Senior Program – We will develop a program focused on falls and household safety for senior citizens and their loved ones to share information on how to prevent falls and make their homes more “senior-friendly”
Other Awareness Programs We will explore avenues to more broadly distribute the message from these programs such as books, videos, Webcasts, or other media.
Our Mission Statement - Our goal is to see that victims of brain injuries are given every chance possible to recover.
We provide practical, actionable advice from people who have suffered through the same experience. We try to educate, commiserate, and help buoy the spirits of the victims and families as we all deal with this terrible tragedy. We provide information and support for both the crisis and the long-term care phases of recovery as well as prevention programs. Form 990 Links - (2004 to be filed after 12/31/04) Board Roster - Ernie Szabo Accomplishments - Accomplishments to date include the completion of the organizational planning, filing and receiving 501(c)3 status from the IRS, and development and release of the Brain Injury Recovery Network Web site. Established a toll free number and commenced operation of the support line. Privacy Policy .This Web site is owned and operated by or on behalf of the Brain Injury Recovery Network. This Privacy Policy addresses issues regarding information visitors to the site may provide. This policy may be changed or updated from time to time. If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, you can contact us at: The Brain Injury Recovery Network We are available to answer your questions or hear your concerns. Our Privacy Policy - The Brain Injury Recovery Network uses its best efforts to respect
and protect the privacy of our online visitors and donors. We will not
share your e-mail address or other personal information with any third
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