IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A pencil sketch created by the author of a woman sitting on the floor against a wall. Her knees are bent, her head down, and her long hair is covering her face. Her left hand is covering her left ear, and her right arm is cradling her head. She is wearing jogging pants that say ‘Adidas’ on the left leg. The pencil sketch is drawn on lined paper, which is cut out surrounding the image on the top, and gently ripped on the bottom and then placed over another white piece of paper. BY: HILARY PEARSON Presented at the Brain Injury Society Toronto’s annual expressive art show: Art ..read more

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A photograph of fireworks behind the CN Tower in Toronto at night. BY: STELLA SLOAN Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, the New Year will arrive – so 5-4-3-2-1 – Happy New Year to you!  Many people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to create improvements in their lives. We all know that, more often than not, these resolutions fail. The question is: will these individuals consider breaking down their resolution into small, attainable goals and find joy in this journey? If so, they may be more successful. As individuals with brain injuries, our medical transformat ..read more

FEATURED IMAGE: A photograph of the writer, Stella, in front of the Grand Canyon. She is smiling at the camera, wearing sunglasses, a red baseball hat and a long tank top with pink, purple, black and orange colours. BY: STELLA SLOAN Writing is my passion, but why did it take me over a week to pick up my pen? My story is about choosing to, and then learning how to, make major transitions life, after being diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). On April 7th, 2017, I was trapped in a car with an intoxicated volunteer driver. He refused to let me out, or drive me home. He placed the c ..read more

FEATURED IMAGE: A colour picture of four children, with blond hair. The picture shows the writer’s older brother Nathaniel holding Nigel, her older sister Leah standing behind Nathaniel, and the writer standing behind Nigel. BY: BROWYN MARTIN My earliest memories are of my little brother.  I remember when he was born. Three-year-old me, excitedly heading to the hospital to meet him, so small and perfect. I remember him growing and smiling.  And then I remember the night of his accident. Running with my sister to the neighbour’s house, waking up and being told that something had happe ..read more

FEATURED IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A photograph of the side of a cliff, with trees below. The blue sky is lit up with pink clouds as the sun is setting and there is a lake in the background. BY: FRANCE THERIAULT Nature is my sanctuary, it is one of my favourite healing therapies. After my Traumatic Brain Injury, I soon realized I needed peace, quietness, solitude and a place where I would be able to safely reconnect with myself. I started to venture solo, appreciating the beauty all around me in the forest. My slower pace made it easier to contemplate, discover and observe details – colours, textures ..read more

BY: FRANCE THERIAULT FEATURED IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Clip art of a woman with short blue hair, rosy cheeks and brown skin, sitting with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. She is smiling, and has large plants behind her. The caption reads, ‘I give myself permission to trust myself, my guidance and my intuition.’ A Facebook memory recently appeared on my feed, a post I wrote on August 30th, 2017. At that time, I was dealing with debilitating post-concussion symptoms, living with a multitude of emotions and feelings which agitated my whole being. I had also just begun this state, I wrote: I WANT ..read more

FEATURED IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A side profile picture of a dog, the background is a sandy beach with waves. BY: DANIELA MELI I absolutely LVE this dog. Lika, is a stray dog who lives on a Sicilian beach called the Coast of Umbra. So before I knew her name I called her Umbra, because her fur is also the same colour as Umbra.  Later, I found out that the community had given her the name Lika. Everybody loves her —how can you not? She is so sweet, gentle and lovable. She immediately came to us at the beach and laid down beside our towels. She would snuggle her nose into our feet and just hang o ..read more

BY FRANCE THERIAULT FEATURED IMAGE DESCRIPTION: An abstract art piece featuring various lines of colours, such as green, red, blue, yellow and purple. EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is based on France’s personal experiences with acupuncture treatment. Different therapies, may or may not work for different individuals. This post should not be considered medical advice. BIST’s programs, such as our ABI Info Series, Concussion Series and Community Meetings occasionally discuss the benefits of different therapies and treatments. Learn about our upcoming programs, HERE and check out our previous webinars ..read more

FEATURED IMAGE: A picture of a blue bike. Its tires are flat, and its chain is off. It is attached to a wooden shelf by the wheels. Where the bike seat is, there is a huge dried grass and flower bouquet protruding out. BY: FRANCE THERIAULT When was the last time you updated your preferences? Was it a month ago? Yesterday? Today? Maybe you can’t even remember the last time you considered YOU and YOUR preferences. I know the feeling very well. I have been there, stuck, not even able to imagine what I wanted, other than wanting to feel like my old self again. I eventually started t ..read more

FEATURED IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A picture of a woman riding a bike. She is wearing black leggings and running shoes. The picture only shows the woman’s legs. She is riding in a park. BY: ELIZABETH MACGREGOR A book I read by American psychologist Susan Jeffers encourages people to “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway”. The advice given to those of us with a brain injury is caution, caution, caution. This time we are living in, full of fear, makes it difficult to put a foot forward and test the waters. A present I was given sits in my garage, taunting me every time I pick up a garden tool, or take out t ..read more