Thank you for visiting my fundraising page! I hope you will consider joining "Team BURD Brains" for this event on October 30 -- if you are unable to join us, I hope you will consider making any donation to support our efforts! Thank you!
THIS YEAR, SUZANNE WILL BE JOINING US FOR THE WALK AND I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH CHRIS'S CAREGIVERS TO ARRANGE FOR HIM TO JOIN US, TOO!! WOO-HOO!! (Some walking, some 'rolling'!) Added BONUS - the event falls on Mom's (a.k.a. Mama BURD's) birthday!!
WHY
I decided to form "Team BURD Brains" for last year's Brain Injury Association of Maryland's Scarecrow Classic to honor my brother Chris BURDette and sister Suzanne BURDette, BOTH of whom are -- incredibly -- survivors of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). By forming Team BURD Brains, we hope to: 1) celebrate life and honor Chris and Suzanne as survivors, 2) help raise awareness of brain injury in Maryland, 3) raise funds for BIAM's Resource Center, and 4) HAVE SOME FUN!
ABOUT CHRIS
As many of you know, Chris's injury occurred on August 1, 2010, after he was unjustly assaulted in Baltimore City by three criminals who have never been caught. Despite his life-threatening head trauma and complications, Chris managed to cling to life. He spent 3 months in Shock Trauma, 3 months in University Specialty Hospital, and 7 months in Kernan Hospital before moving to a group home in August 2011. Chris (a.k.a. Big BURS) has retained his easy-going demeanor and likable personality, but struggles with the cognitive effects of TBI, such as confusion, disorientation, short-term memory loss. He is now receiving daily therapy and residential and day-program services through the Mary T. program. It is amazing he has come this far.
ABOUT SUZANNE
Suzanne's injury occurred on August 22, 1988, in a near-fatal car accident in Catonsville. Suzanne was airlifted to Shock Trauma with multiple injuries, including broken bones, internal injuries, and head trauma. She, too, clung to life in the few weeks after the accident and after leaving Shock Trauma, spent several months in a rehabilitation hospital in Pennsylvania. Brain injury and its affects on individuals, as well as the services those individuals need, was far less understood at that time than it is now. Despite this, Suzanne has managed to overcome many of the physical and cognitive challenges of her TBI -- it is also amazing she has come this far.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please join "Team BURD Brains" and support our efforts by:
~ REGISTERING FOR THE EVENT AND WALKING ON OCTOBER 30. [Don't forget your family and friends -- the more, the merrier!!]
~ REGISTERING FOR THE EVENT AND CHOOSING THE "SNOOZE" WALKER OPTION. [I.e., you can join the team but stay in bed that morning!!]
~ MAKE A DONATION (in any amount) USING A CREDIT CARD to support "Team BURD Brains." [Donating through this website is simple, fast, and secure -- it is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts!!]
~ MAKE A DONATION (in any amount) USING A PERSONAL CHECK to support "Team BURD Brains." [Just send a check made payable to BIAM, note Team BURD Brains, and mail to: BIAM, 2200 Kernan Drive, Baltimore, MD 21207.]
~ FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO YOU THINK MIGHT WANT TO DONATE, TOO!
Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your support!
Amy BURDette (summer4amy@yahoo.com)
ABOUT TBI
More than 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Brain injury is unpredictable in its consequences. It affects who we are, the way we think, act, and feel -- it can change everything about us in a matter of seconds. The most important things to remember:
• A person with a brain injury is a person first
• No two brain injuries are exactly the same
• The effects of a brain injury depend on such factors as cause, location, and severity
• The effects of a brain injury are complex and vary greatly from person to person
Also, brain injury is not an event or an outcome -- it is the start of a misdiagnosed, misunderstood, under-funded neurological disease. Individuals who sustain brain injuries must have timely access to expert trauma care, specialized rehabilitation, lifelong disease management, and individualized services and supports in order to live healthy, independent, and satisfying lives.
BIAM is an association of individuals and organizations dedicated to improving the lives and futures of Marylanders affected by brain injury. Through education, advocacy, and promotion of research, BIAM provides help, hope, and healing for individuals living with brain injury, their families, and the professionals who serve them.