CHATTANOOGA AREA BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION (CABIA)

From toddlers to retirees, nearly 40 people whose lives have been changed by traumatic brain injuries enjoyed an unusual "support group" activity last August – a hotdog dinner and a softball game at Warner Park’s Miracle Field.

"What's the first goal?" shouted Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association Executive Director Lisa Morgan. "Win!" responded a wisecracker. "No,” shouted Morgan, “have fun!”

A severe brain injury is a life-altering experience. About 3 million people in the nation – and some 8,000 in Tennessee -- become brain injured each year, mainly in falls, car accidents, homicides and violent attacks. At highest risk are young adults ages 15-24, children and the elderly.

Most serious accidents require extensive hospital and rehab stays. Returning home brings a host of new challenges. Often, families must step in to help with finances, money management, household chores, even bathing and dressing.

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“I had to learn how to walk, talk, live independently, look for jobs and work with other people,” said Jeanette C., a Cleveland, Tenn. resident who sustained multiple injuries in a car accident 21 years ago.

Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association (CABIA) was founded in 1983, to provide a wide range of support.  Services are available to a 15-county area. There are no memberships. All services are free. Any survivor of TBI, or a family member, may contact the organization for individualized, personal assistance. "People don't realize we're not one of those organizations that are just about raising money - we're there for you, one-on-one," said Morgan.

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Every year, CABIA helps about 135-200 people and an additional 15-75 people attend support group meetings. The support groups include not only people with brain injury diagnoses, but people on the autism spectrum, and those recovering from brain tumors, stroke -- or even aneurysms. “I don’t turn anyone away,” said Morgan.

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Some clients find CABIA through the state's record systems. All hospitals are mandated to report TBI data to the state, where injuries are entered into a registry. The state mails a letter to the survivor, providing information about CABIA and other support and resources. However, sometimes the address listed in the hospital's record system is out of date; TBI survivors sometimes need to move quickly -- to live with family members for physical support, or because a job loss requires them to find less expensive housing.

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What is the experience of those who do call CABIA for help? A major injury is an "overwhelming crisis," explained Morgan. "Suddenly, you need a lot more information and you're emotionally, physically, mentally overwhelmed. You need someone to help you understand what's going on, to navigate a massive, complicated, sometimes hostile-seeming system, with insurance, disability benefits, social services, medical, social, psychological demands. Suddenly, you need TONS of information -- and CABIA has the tools, resources and support you need to manage this new, overwhelming life-changing crisis."

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The goal of support groups is to combat the social isolation that often occurs after a brain injury. Brain injuries often change personalities, interrupt cognitive processes, cause life-long bouts of seizures, prompt erratic, rollercoaster emotional states or trigger odd behaviors. “I love this group,” said Robert C., a 42-year-old Red Bank resident who lost part of his forebrain in a car accident in 2000. “I’m with like-minded people who understand the signs and symptoms. If I’m out in public and I have a seizure, I lose friends – it gets on their nerves. But my anxiety’s not so bad when I’m here.”

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In addition, brain injuries often make it difficult to continue to do professional work, or, for some, any work at all. “I lost my teaching job,” said Jeannette C. “And I lost so many friends. I was out of the wheelchair and out of the brace, but I didn’t look the same, or sound the same -- most people didn’t want anything to do with me.”

In its second year, the now annual summer cookout and softball game has become a social highlight for CABIA members. On Miracle Field, designed and built for people with disabilities, plastic balls hit plastic bats and grounders, fly balls, singles, doubles, triples and home runs ensued. Some tapped the ball. Others smashed it so far out of the park the ball was never seen again. As the sun began to set, the game was called, the score announced as, 142-157 or, well, no one knew.

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“Everybody has a good time,” said Cecil W., a 35-year-old Chattanooga resident with cerebellar ataxia, caused by a 2003 car crash. “We’re all smiling -- it just brings everybody together and helps us forget about what the challenges we’re facing." Thanks, in part, to Siskin Hospital and CABIA’s programs, added Jeannette C. “I’m a walking miracle.”