It’s summertime, with all the popular outdoor activities that come along with it, and the Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association (SBIA) advises wearing a helmet during any activity with potential for a hard bump to the head (or worse).
“We always talk about prevention, and summer is the time when people are at the highest risk of getting a brain injury,” said Glenda James of Moose Jaw, the SBIA’s executive director.
“People are playing all kinds of sports, they’re on ATVs — which are a huge cause of brain injury for young people —, they’re riding bikes, they’re in boats and swimming, and near-drowning causes brain injuries.
“Sorry to say that, but all of the summer activities that are so fun are also potential causes of brain injury. That’s why we really emphasize the importance of wearing a helmet.”
The SBIA was founded in 1985 by a group of people whose lives have been changed by brain injuries — their own, or those of a close friend or family member. It is a registered charity providing support services free of charge to those living with an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).
Hits to the head are inherently scarier because of their unpredictability. The brain is the central organizer for every bodily system, so a single bike crash, ATV turnover, or tumble from a watercraft can have lifelong effects including personality changes, memory problems, difficulty with co-ordination and balance, changes to perception (vision, hearing, smelling), paralysis, and increased risk for further traumatic events.
Permanent ABIs can also result from medical events such as strokes, infections, and tumors. Although the brain is adaptable, it cannot repair most forms of damage. Even if the prognosis is positive, everything will be different afterward.
One of the SBIA’s flagship programs is the Save Your Melon campaign. Save Your Melon came from a partnership with the late Jim Hopson, a former Saskatchewan Roughriders player and later president and CEO of the Roughriders Football Club.
“With our Save Your Melon program, we have both hardhats and helmets which look like watermelons — only much less sticky,” James explained. She added that she has been amazed by just how many heavy equipment or construction workers don’t wear hardhats on their jobsites, leading to a partnership with WorkSafe Saskatchewan.
“We promote that throughout the summer at trade shows and in school presentations. ... And then we’re gearing up for the Brain Boogie now.”
The Brain Boogie is an annual walkathon to raise awareness of the more than 2,000 Saskatchewanians who sustain a brain injury every year, as well as all those living with the effects of an ABI. Supporters are encouraged to join the event in Regina on August 24th.
“We’re doing something very interesting in Regina. They decided that given the weather, a walk around the lake might be a little bit warm, and so they’re going to do a drumming circle ... on August 24th in Wascana Park, and that’s going to be our Brain Boogie.”
More information on SBIA supports, services, activities, and programs, as well as the option to register for upcoming events like the Brain Boogie, is on their website at sbia.ca.