All Personal Stories

Snowboarder Kevin Pearce was training for the Olympics when he fell and sustained a severe TBI. Watch this clip from a new HBO documentary.

Hugh taught the girls how to walk, to ride a bike, to swim and surf. When a car struck him just days after their fourteenth birthday, he slept in a coma after two emergency brain surgeries in three days. One word woke him up: Daddy.

Sarah Kishpaugh rediscovers her fiesty sense of humor, which got temporarily buried in the maelstrom after her husband's TBI.

A brain injury can turn a family's life upside down. Add in adolescence. Read an excerpt from Janna Leyde's coming-of-age story — raw, honest, funny, heart-breaking and heart-affirming.

Janna Leyde, writer, yoga teacher, and daughter of a father with severe TBI, asks: "So how do we reconnect the mind and body? How do we find ourselves in the now?"

Rosemary knows that eating well under stress is hard. Sometimes cookies feel better than salad, but in the longterm, the opposite will prevail.

Loving wife and teacher Abby Maslin uses her creativity and teaching skills to help her husband recover from a severe TBI.

Traumatic brain injury makes quirky seem quirkier, especially when a person is in the initial months of recovery. Rosemary learned that Hugh's loss of his sense of smell came with both dangers and quirkiness.

Mother’s Day is a holiday that is meant to be full of love and appreciation, but Rosemary has found that the day itself varies intensely from year to year, depending on family dynamics, age, and life circumstances.

People often ask Rosemary what she has learned from Hugh's traumatic brain injury and all that has come after. In this week's blog post, she shares some of the lessons she has learned along the way.

During Hugh's recovery, Rosemary heard many family and friends say, "Let me know what I can do to help." They meant it, but here Rosemary shares five offers caregivers would be grateful to hear — and accept.

Rosemary talks with author and caregiver Sally Laux who lost her three brothers — two to death, one to a severe TBI.

Do you feel like no matter how much time you spend caregiving, you are not doing enough? Rosemary has felt that way, too, but realized she needed to do something about it.

In February 2013, police officer Peter Laboy was shot in the head. His wife, Suzanne, is chronicling the family's journey.

Rosemary talks about how planning for life’s unexpected emergencies is never easy or comfortable, but in the long run, it can save a lot of heartache.

"Life and living is the very definition of surviving. It is what the living do. Definitions are meant to change. Able to change. For the brain injured, begging to change. What does it mean to you to have survived?"

"Think for a moment about the best gift you have ever received. What made it so different from all the rest?" Rosemary shares one birthday present she will treasure forever.

Rosemary's sister once told her, “There’s the truth we tell others, the truth we tell ourselves, and the truth we won’t even tell ourselves.”It wasn't until she was in therapy after Hugh's crash that she fully understood her sister's words.

Before Hugh’s injury, I loved getting mail in my mailbox. Afterward, I dreaded adding another pile to the piles of mail that permanently resided on my desk, office floor, and living room table.

"When something this devastating happens to the person you love, it's a moment of truth in your relationship."

"TBI does not change the fact that we are human beings. We have feelings. We are not second class citizens. We are different, but different does not mean worse."

"You want your son back so bad and you want him to have a normal life. It's not going to happen ... all you can do is be there 100 percent."

Rosemary talks about giving her first caregiving talk at a brain injury conference and how friendships and opportunities burgeoned from there.

Why did this wife take a photograph of her husband in his hospital bed after he sustained a severe brain injury?

Sally Laux has lost her three brothers — two to death, one to a severe TBI — and yet, as she walks on a landscape of new textures and colors, she somehow continues to find meaning in her life.

April 13, 2002 started like any other Saturday morning for the Rawlins family. In her blog, Rosemary talks about the phone call that changed everything.

What exactly is "resilience"? In her caregiving blog, Rosemary talks about this important ability as a way to "bounce forward" after brain injury.

Rosemary knows that sometimes love is the last thing on her mind when she is stressed and tired, but here she shares some heartfelt reminders for herself and other caregivers — especially since it's Valentine's Day.

Rosemary Rawlins never planned on being a caregiver. No one does. But the afternoon her husband was hit while riding his bicycle, she was catapulted into her new role.

Rosemary explains how the traditional roles of husband and wife did a 180-degree flip after Hugh's TBI and how she managed.

Rosemary talks about how frantic she felt inside after her husband's TBI — he was still alive but he was not the same. 

Watch this clip from a powerful documentary about a brilliant actress who triumphed over the loss of her short-term memory.

The day before Rosemary's husband’s severe traumatic brain injury was the last day she felt truly safe in the world.

Rosemary writes about how to answer the dreaded question, "How are you?"

When Adam Moore was 8 years old, a fluke accident resulted in an arrow piercing his brain. This slideshow tells the story in his words and pictures.

Looking back over the 10 years since her husband sustained a severe TBI, Rosemary realizes what she has learned and how she has grown.

Seven years after having to leave her beloved sport of alpine ski racing, Lesley LeMasurier shares her story and sage advice.

An excerpt from a stunning book about what it means to return to live after a near-death experience.

As a young Cub Scout, the "Broken Arrow Boy" fell and an arrow in his hand punctured his brain. More than 50 surgeries later, Adam Moore lives a spiritual and artistic life.

Chris Nowinski learned the hard way that the number of hits to the head is not the same as the number of concussions. His mission is now to share what he has learned about sports and brain trauma.

Since her brain injury, world-renowned artist Ginny Ruffner has had to discover different and more inventive ways to create her art.

Giving up art after her TBI was never a choice. "Giving up art is like giving up having green eyes. It's who I am, not what I do."

I keep making improvements partly because I go to the gym, partly because I do exercises at home, and partly because I'm so dang stubborn. I want to keep moving forward.

In therapy post-TBI, artist Ginny Ruffner was taught to bag groceries. That scared her — and motivated her to always do more than she needed to.

Artist Ginny Ruffner's advice to others with TBI: "Persist! Keep doing it, trying it, pushing it, saying no I'm not stopping it. Keep Going!"

Artists may see the world differently from most people, but for artist Ginny Ruffner, especially after her brain injury, thinking about thinking, thinking about wonder and how the mind creates and is endlessly fascinating.

Artist Ginny Ruffner believes that surrounding herself with beauty makes her happier in her head and heart ... and beauty is always changing.

Two teenagers. A dark road. A drunk driver. This excerpt is from a beautiful book about the journey from grief to gratitude to grace by a pediatrician-mother.

In A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway wrote, “The world breaks us all, then after, some are strong at the broken places.”

This is a glimpse into the life of girl whose father sustained a brain injury. Her life continues to be defined by the moment of her father's car crash — for better and for worse.

"For the brain injured, for anyone needing to restart their lives after all of their normal has been stripped, the Olympics provide a serious, wonderful, hopeful dose of what is possible in each of us."

"It" is the recipient of all of your best.What is your "it"?

For physician, writer, and mother Carolyn Roy-Bornstein, writing was the way she made sense of the world, but after her son sustained a brain injury, she found she was also writing for him.

Have you ever dreamt that you were terrified, you screamed, but nothing came out? Imagine you are paralyzed, too. You can’t shield your face with your hands or run away, but you see, hear, and understand everything coming at you.

"The puzzle of my life has a thousand pieces to it, and I am learning how to fit them all together."

From the moment the Goldsteins adopted Bart from Korea, they pulled out all the stops to give him a good life. Especially after he sustained a severe TBI.

“Please don’t keep bringing up my past. I don’t live there anymore.”

Do you need to nap after showering because it's so exhausting? Is grocery shopping like climbing a mountain?

Most people in Upstate New York remember March 15, 1993 as the day the Blizzard of the Century paralyzed the region. For Jon, it was a day when a train hit him and his life changed forever.

Sometimes our fear can be more debilitating than a TBI. One caregiver shares her story of ambiguous loss, family love, and emotional healing.

"As someone who has sustained a brain injury, I am sure that yoga has helped my body, not wrecked it."

After a life-changing brain injury, this sports journalist learns that words, as always, save him.

Take off your mask ... it's hot and sticky under there and the elastic gets caught in your hair.

One journalist makes sense of his TBI by once again putting pen to paper.

Watch this clip about world-renowned artist Ginny Ruffner, who refuses to let a debilitating brain injury slow down her drive to create art.

A day with friends on the links ended Ryan's life as he — and his family — knew it, but their life includes many more happy chapters.

The love of a family makes a world of difference after a brain injury.

"If you think you have a concussion, don't hide it, report it ... I didn't know it could get this bad."

In the last chapter of Naomi Parker's book about her daughter’s brain injury, Libby was starting her senior year of high school. BrainLine wanted to find out where she is now.

By the time baby Daniel arrived, Anne Forrest “had been practicing having a baby for a long time.”

"I have to admit that I didn’t expect Satan to come as a yoga instructor ... "

"I never thought I was a 'support group person' ... I wanted to take action, not talk about my problems."

"You've got to look forward, you can't look back. Only look back in order to see how far you've come."

After her son sustained a TBI while playing football, one mother took the ball and ran with it to raise awareness.

Experience the powerful images and words by a group of people living with TBI in this second  installment of a photographic exhibit.

"I’m a young woman with a lot to give to the world, and the world has a lot to give me yet.”

When her concussions started to affect her on and off the ski slopes, competitive alpine ski racer Lesley LeMasurier knew something was significantly wrong.

One mother and longtime caregiver shares the story of her son's brain injury.

A long-time caregiver writes an honest plea for help and support to his wife's siblings.

"The average person has 3,000 thoughts every day ... I’d be interested to see how many of mine begin with, “I forgive…” and “I am grateful for….” and “I am capable of….”

Learn about one young woman who has not stopped working hard on her recovery since the moment she woke up from her coma.

Six years after a car wreck, Erroll teaches elementary school PE. "I'm problaby the most positive person you'll ever meet."

Watch how the lives of Sammy and his parents have taken new shape since his injury. "Life changes, priorities change ..."

"Hearing the news of my friend's car crash was like reliving the emotions and pain of my own crash and the battles afterwards ..."

"It doesn’t take much to derail a person with a brain injury ... "

"Why did I look like the Michelin Man — puffy, round faced, fat feet, no bones showing?"

Being diagnosed with something like diabetes after a TBI seems like a cruel slap in the face.

Funny and irreverent, Shireen Jeejeehboy shares her brain injury blog that is full of stories and great information.

Ten years is a long time, but the shock and sadness of a child's TBI never goes away.

See how friends and family rallied around the glowing and fiesty girl they loved — and how that helped during her recovery from a TBI.

Poems and thoughts from people with brain injury, created in a peer support group in Ireland.

Like a lot of people after a TBI, Geo Gosling had issues with anger ... and "furiadage."

The story of a mother's relentless battle to help her daughter — in school and in life — after a brain injury.

The story of a California girl who, after a TBI, becomes a beacon of health and wellness for herself and countless others.

After "11 wonderful seasons" Jason Belser retired from the NFL. "I had four concussions, but I still have all my memories. Clear as day."

"Sometimes when your life ends, you don't actually die."

Taking care of seven children when one sustains a life-threatening TBI: one mother's story.

Learning how sharing your story can be "medicine" for you and others.

One man's journey after a brain injury that includes poetry, thoughts on Zen Buddhism, and a sailor's yarn.

Kara Swanson's blog is invariably filled with insight, wisdom ... and humor.

"So, when someone like that tosses a rag your way and tells you, 'Here.  Make yourself useful,'  you get busy."

Former NFL player Jason Belser talks about the highs and lows of his 11 seasons in pro football.

How much can one caregiver take? This mother shares her insights.

One girl's "regrowth of her adolescent spirit" after a brain injury.

Trisha Meili, known through the media as the Central Park Jogger, shares the story of her attack as well as how mindfulness and living in the present moment continues to help with her recovery.

Michael Nepola was loving life as a high school kid. Then he made one bad decision: to drink and drive. Telling his story, he beseeches people not to make the same mistake he did.

After a serious biking accident, "all I had to guide me was a damaged brain."

“Water Under the Bridge” was written by Jeff Shattuck after he sustained a brain injury. It is sung by Eryn Young. Guitars are the work of Tim Young. Bass is Sam Bevan and drums are Andy Korn. Everything was recorded by Jaime Durr at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco. Used by permission. For more information on Jeff Shattuck and his music, go to Cerebellumblues.squarespace.com. Transcript of this Video.

A mother's story of the night that changed her family's live, and everything that happened since then.

"This is not the path I chose. But I have to make the best of it."

After an injury, one man's brain on music.

Watch Daniel Cohen, 33, who sustained a brain injury 16 years before, enjoy the Calgary slopes.

One woman's experience after a brain injury.

It wasn’t until six months after her car crash that this woman got the help she needed for her brain injury.

Trisha Meili — the Central Park Jogger — shares her personal best.

When brain injury hits home.

Learn how one woman refused to limit her potential.

Mt. Sinai's Dr. Wayne Gordon introduces one mother's powerful story about the importance of accurate diagnosis.

Read how a school psychologist had to learn to ask for help after a TBI.

Hear hockey great Pat LaFontaine recount his story and the steps he took during his recovery after several brain injuries.

The story of how a brain injury helped one woman find her true self.

Hear the backstory from the author of The Water Giver. A mother's love for her brain-injured son.

A mother's tragedy, terror, and triumph through a child's traumatic brain injury.

The story of a mother, a son, and their second chance after a brain injury.

After her brain injury, Jennifer Mosher learned to embrace her two smiles.

How did someone with TBI end up in a mental institution and then in prison?

A story that puts words to what so many people with TBI experience.

Spirited stories and advice from Lee Woodruff — from all she has learned since her husband's TBI.

"Don't let this happen to you" — Watch one young man's story of his brain injury.

A self-help guide from someone who orchestrated his own successful recovery post-TBI.

BrainLine talks with Jason and Susannah Ferguson about how Jason's brain injury has affected their marriage, family, and outlook on life.

See an excerpt from a video that profiles the stories of eight people with TBI.

This is the story of a girl named Logan who persevered through her brain injury to create a magazine for other kids with disabilities and inspire them to achieve their dreams and goals.

Retired Army Sergeant Edward "Ted" Wade and his wife, Sarah, share their story after Ted sustained a severe TBI while serving in Iraq.

Mother Carolyn Rocchio used to worry about the little things in life until her son had a car accident.

A photographic exhibit created by a group of people with TBI to reflect their experience living with brain injury.

“On a moonless summer night my husband fell nine feet from a sleeping loft to the floor and did not die.”

Retired football player and pro-wrestler tackles worldwide — and personal — concussion crisis.

An excerpt from a book that takes us into the dark side of the brain with stories that are at once true and strange.

What happens when you’re a PhD economist and you suddenly can’t remember things or think straight?

America's favorite sport — football — has a serious problem.

In countless ways a person's life is altered in a moment after a brain injury.

"Your life can change in an instant ... but ... life goes on. Don't trust anyone!"

One young man's story of how he brought light to tragedy.

What is the dividing line between hope and hopelessness? Meet one mother who found out.

What happened when a Harvard-trained and published brain scientist experienced a blood vessel exploding in her brain?

A love story — before and after a devastating brain injury.

Read how one mother found hundreds of strangers to help her care for her son with a brain injury.

A moving family story that makes you wish the book never ends.

The story of a competitive and driven young executive whose life was destroyed, and how she ultimately rebuilt it.

The story of one mother who uses stories to jumpstart her daughter's memory after a brain injury.

NHL Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine helps other athletes and people with TBI by sharing his story.

Dr. Claudia Osborn never thought she would be in the ER for anything else but treating patients.

One woman's "grateful journey" back from being shot in the head by the hijackers of EgyptAir Flight 548.