BIAF: A Message From Our Executive Director, Valerie Breen

Valerie Breen

FROM BRAINWAVES, 2010 SPRING EDITION

It was over 25 years ago that one mother, whose son sustained a severe traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle crash, started the quest to find information and hope. As with many families, there were many long and lonely hours before she learned that her son had survived. With little knowledge and support, she connected with others and courageously sought help for her son. As she learned what it meant to survive and how important it was to connect people to information, services and support - she formed what is now called the Brain Injury Association of Florida.

This year we will celebrate our 25th anniversary. Our continued commitment to inform, educate, support and advocate for the needs of Florida’s now 210,000 survivors living with TBI and their families is stronger than ever.

We are so proud of the information and support BIAF has given to families and survivors throughout the years. We have heard from many families and survivors that our help has resonated through their lives -- 6 months, 2 years, 10 years and even more down the road. When they felt they had nothing . . . we gave them hope.

As BIAF stands on the threshold of our next 25 years, we are committed to advocating for more funding and more services. We need your help to fight this uphill battle together in these difficult times. We must not forget the enormous value in our collective knowledge, stories, experience and belief in our cause. BIAF recognizes the importance of leveraging our partnerships with heads of state, legislators, public agencies and private providers and identify TBI Champions in these changing times.

Awareness is the first step to reaching out to our fellow citizens. It is the mechanism that will help change
public policy and the means to secure more funding for those we serve. It is our stories told time and time
again that can make the real difference. Lift your voice, tell others about BIAF, and help us fund our advocacy efforts and continue to change lives.

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