Brain Injury Association of America, Tennessee Chapter

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Brain Injury Association of America, Tennessee Chapter The Brain Injury Association of America, Tennessee Chapter, is committed to making our state a place where survivors and their families feel supported.

Support BIAA-TN with a donation: https://give.biausa.org/campaign/707184/donate

"But you look fine!"Danene Charles understands why people say this to her. If you met her today, you probably wouldn't g...
10/15/2026

"But you look fine!"

Danene Charles understands why people say this to her. If you met her today, you probably wouldn't guess that she's living with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. She can carry on a conversation. She can get dressed, put on her makeup, go to church, spend time with her family. She looks the same as she did before her brain injury. What they don't see are the headaches. The fatigue. The noise sensitivity. The memory loss. The word retrieval issues.

When people say, "But you look fine," what Danene hopes they understand is that you cannot always see what a person is carrying just by looking at them.

What do you wish people understood about living with brain injury?

Registration is open for the 2027 National Brain Injury Conference and Awareness Day!Taking place March 8-10 at the Hilt...
10/14/2026

Registration is open for the 2027 National Brain Injury Conference and Awareness Day!

Taking place March 8-10 at the Hilton Arlington National Landing in Arlington, Va., the 2027 conference is geared toward current and potential advocates in the brain injury community who are motivated to expand advocacy, services, and support across the field. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3WemvXF

Join the Brain Injury Association of America on November 5 for Stroke Recovery: Body, Mind, and Relationships, a half-da...
10/13/2026

Join the Brain Injury Association of America on November 5 for Stroke Recovery: Body, Mind, and Relationships, a half-day virtual symposium built around conversations on stroke recovery.

Across three focused sessions spanning body, mind, and relationships, leading experts will share clinical insight, research, and guidance on the realities of stroke recovery. Alongside them, survivors and caregivers will share their lived experiences and perspectives from their journeys.

Whether you're recovering, caring for someone who is, or providing clinical care or navigation for those who are, you'll leave with a deeper understanding of stroke recovery and the reassurance that wherever you are in your own journey, you are not alone. Register here: https://bit.ly/4eu3Tcq

10/13/2026

🧠 Virtual Brain Injury Support Group

Join Us Tuesday, October 20th at 11:00 AM (CST)

We invite you to join our upcoming Virtual Brain Injury Support Group for Art Therapy with Mary Mae from The Art Jam 🎨

Who Should Attend?
This support group is open to:
•Individuals living with brain injury
•Family members and caregivers
•Professionals working with the brain injury community
•Anyone interested in learning about available brain injury resources and supports

🎨The activity for this session will be Storytelling and Illustration, with a cozy fall theme🎨
Supplies Needed for the Activity:
•Paper
•Drawing tool (pencil or pen)
•Optional: Coloring tools (crayons, markers, or colored pencils)
**Coloring tools will enhance this activity

This is a great opportunity to build connections and share experiences with others who understand the journey of brain injury.

Virtual Meeting Information:
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 20th
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (CST)
💻 Location: Zoom
Join the Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/98099628989?pwd=Zd1aWMvJckcyeUC3FaPgcSlwRCozRW.1&from=addon
Meeting ID: 980 9962 8989
Passcode: 898725

Registration Link for Meeting: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/pCqF87C7Vv

Please reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Martha Scott's brain injury journey began when her doctor found a kiwi-sized tumor on the left frontal lobe of her brain...
10/09/2026

Martha Scott's brain injury journey began when her doctor found a kiwi-sized tumor on the left frontal lobe of her brain. It was successfully removed - and then, Martha says, the hard work began. She struggled with her memory and had difficulty keeping her thoughts straight, and therapy was challenging. But little by little, everything started to come together.

Martha's journey was a long and difficult one - but it was also successful. Read about Martha's brain injury journey here: https://bit.ly/4hP25fh

10/08/2026

Matt Brown estimates that he’s had more than 10 concussions.

For years, many of those injuries went undiagnosed and untreated. They came from youth sports, bike and car accidents, and Matt’s career in law enforcement.

Then, in 2014, Matt was in a minor car accident and sustained another concussion. He never fully recovered.

"Although I have a great team of doctors and specialists as well as a good combo of medications to treat my symptoms, I still find myself struggling cognitively more and more each year," he says.

For Matt, and for many people living with brain injury, figuring out what comes next isn’t simple. Symptoms can last for months, years, or even a lifetime. And the person you were before your injury may not feel like the person you are today. That can be an isolating experience.

But Matt found something important: people who understood.

Through the Brain Injury Association of America, Matt connected with a Certified Brain Injury Specialist in his area.

“It’s nice to have an organization that you can reach out to,” Matt says. “To be able to know that what you’re going through is something that others are going through as well. That it makes sense, and it’s okay.”

Sometimes, knowing you’re not alone can make all the difference.

Tell us about someone who made you feel understood in the comments.

10/07/2026

We are changing the name of our Virtual Brain Injury Support Group! Your voice matters! We invite you to participate in our online poll by casting your vote. Your feedback is important and helps guide our efforts.

What name would you like to see for this support group?

1. Brain Trust
2. Head Space
3. Mind Meld

Let us know your answer in the comments!

For decades, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have largely been classified as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe.” But these ...
10/06/2026

For decades, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have largely been classified as “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe.” But these three labels don’t tell the whole story.

A new international framework, CBI-M, offers a more comprehensive approach to characterizing TBI. Rather than relying primarily on a single measure of injury severity, CBI-M considers four areas: clinical, biomarkers, imaging, and modifiers. Together, these elements provide a more complete picture of what happened to the brain.

Better classification can lead to better understanding, and ultimately better care for brain injury survivors. More precise characterization can help clinicians identify differences between injuries, support more individualized treatment, and help researchers design stronger clinical studies.

For people living with brain injury, that progress matters and makes a real difference.

You can read more about CBI-M here: https://bit.ly/3GYbylJ

On this World Meningitis Day, we'd like to highlight the incredible brain injury journey of Brian "Bo" Holder. Five year...
10/05/2026

On this World Meningitis Day, we'd like to highlight the incredible brain injury journey of Brian "Bo" Holder. Five years ago, Bo contracted streptococcal bacterial meningitis just days before he and his wife were due to move his stepdaughter into her new college dorm. Bo went from feeling feverish and run down to being rushed to the emergency room, where he experienced multiple seizures and spent a week in a coma.

As a result of contracting meningitis—which progressed into sepsis—Bo had multiple strokes. When he woke up, he could no longer walk, talk, or hear. His prognosis was not good. Doctors said that if he survived, he would likely need to move into a nursing home; Bo's family felt strongly that rehabilitation was possible.

Bo went through physical and cognitive rehabilitation, continuing to work on his rehab even after being discharged from the brain injury unit. "It was certainly frustrating, and I could be hard to handle, but I was fighting to get back to normal, or at least as good as I could be," Bo says.

Five years post-injury, Bo describes his brain injury journey as both challenging and rewarding. Although he is still deaf, a cochlear implant helps him hear on one side. While he still has some vestibular balance issues, he can now walk without assistance. He went back to school and earned a master's degree. And next month, his family's short film documentary "Live Twice" will be shown at a live screening in Atlanta.

Read Bo's story here: https://bit.ly/4hGfLsD

10/05/2026

🧠 Virtual Brain Injury Support Group
Join us Tuesday, October 6th @11:00 AM (CST)!
We invite you to join our upcoming Virtual Brain Injury Support Group for an open discussion on Brain Health & Nutrition.
Discussion Prompts:
• What role does nutrition play in brain health, especially after a brain injury?
• Discuss how nutrients, hydration, and sleep may support brain function and recovery.
• What dietary habits may be helpful to avoid?
This is a great opportunity to build connections, share experiences, and learn from others who understand the journey of brain injury.
Who Should Attend?
This support group is open to:
• Individuals living with brain injury
• Family members and caregivers
• Professionals working with the brain injury community
• Anyone interested in connecting with and learning from the brain injury community
Virtual Meeting Information
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 6th
🕚 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (CST)
💻 Location: Zoom
Join the Meeting:
Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 980 9962 8989
Passcode: 898725
Register: https://bit.ly/4AFBA4v

We look forward to connecting with you and hearing about your experiences!

Address

955 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN
37206

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16292465884

Website

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