News Release
Brain Injury Awareness Day in Orange County is March 5th
In the United States 2.5 Million people sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury every year
(Orlando, Florida) – Every nine seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. An acquired brain injury is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary or degenerative. There are two types of acquired brain injury: traumatic and non-traumatic.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild” to “severe.”
- Non- Traumatic Brain Injury can be caused by electric shock, infectious disease, oxygen deprivation, stroke, seizures and substance abuse to name a few.
Both types of Brain injury can change the way a person thinks, acts and feels – in a matter of seconds. The effects of a brain injury are complex and vary greatly from person to person.
The Art of Medicine Foundation is a Central Florida nonprofit organization who, since 2015, has raised over $680,000 to support brain injury research and treatment – and led the charge to have March 5, 2019 officially recognized as “Brain Injury Awareness Day in Orange County.”
An official proclamation will be delivered at a ceremony taking place on March 5th (1pm to 2pm).Orange County District 4 Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero will present the proclamation to Art of Medicine Founders, Ken and Cindy LaRoe. The event will be held at the UCF College of Medicine Medical Education building located at 6850 Lake Nona Drive. Guests will gather in the Dr. Phillips Rotunda for the reading, followed by a guided tour of the facility which houses innovative, high tech labs and educational space designed to provide an ideal learning environment for future physicians.
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) leads the nation in observing Brain Injury Awareness Month by conducting an awareness campaign in March each year. The theme for the 2019 campaign is Change Your Mind. BIAA is a national organization representing and serving individuals, families and professionals who are touched by traumatic brain injury (TBI).
