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THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN NURSING HOMES TODAY WHO HAVE SUSTAINED
BRAIN INJURIES. THEY ARE WAITING FOR US TO BRING A CURE FOR THEM, SO THAT THEY CAN COME
BACK TO THEIR NORMAL LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING. I BELIEVE THAT THE MAJOJRITY OF THE COUNTRY
IS UNAWARE THAT WE HAVE CLOSE TO 2 MILLION NEW BRAIN INJURIES EVERY YEAR. THE GREAT MAJORITY
OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN IN THE PRIME OF THEIR LIVES. MANY ARE YOUNG PEOPLE,
ATHLETES, STUDENTS. WHETHER THEIR ACCIDENT WAS A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, OR SPORTS INJURY,
THEY ARE TOTALLY INCAPACITATED. NOT MANY ARE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD OUT OF THIS SITUATION
UNLESS THEY GET INTO REHAB PROGRAMS AND IN ORDER TO GET INTO A REHAB PROGRAM, CERTAIN
CRITERIA HAVE TO BE MET. THERE ARE A HUGE NUMBER OF BRAIN INJURY PATIENTS WHO ARE UNABLE
TO LEAP THE FENCE AND GET INTO BRAIN REHAB PROGRAMS, BECAUSE THEY DONT MEET THE CRITERIA.
AND, IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE UNABLE TO HELP THEM OVERCOME THAT SEVERE BRAIN INJURY THAT THEY
SUSTAINED. AND SO ESSENTIALLY, THEY ARE JUST LEFT TO LAY THERE - MOST OF THE TIME IN NURSING
HOMES, WHICH ARE ILL-EQUIPPED TO TAKE CARE OF SUCH PATIENTS. THEY ONLY RECEIVE CUSTODIAL
CARE, SO THEY ARE TUBE-FED, AND THEY ARE BATHED, MANY ONLY ONCE A WEEK AND THEY WAIT, AND THEY
WAIT. THOSE THAT ARE MINIMALLY CONSCIOUS, SUCH AS MY SON, WHO SUSTAINED HIS INJURY,
ALMOST 4 YEARS AGO...IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, IT WILL BE 4 YEARS. AND, EVERY DAY I SEE HIM.
I'VE NEVER LEFT HIS SIDE. EVERY DAY THAT I LOOK INTO HIS EYES, ITS THAT
LOOK OF "HELP ME", "HELP ME", " WHEN CAN I GET UP AND RESUME MY LIFE AGAIN?" yOU SEE,
BRAIN INJURY, NOT ONLY AFFECTS THE PERSON WHO SUSTAINED IT, BUT THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY.
IT IS A DEVASTATING THING. IT DEVASTATES EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY AND YOU ARE NEVER THE SAME AGAIN...BECAUSE,
UNLIKE MOST OF THE MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT WE DEAL WITH, BRAIN INJURY HAS NO PLAN OF
ACTION. THERE IS NO CURE. THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL AND PEOPLE GET RELEGATED TO NURSING HOMES
AND ESSENTIALLY FORGOTTEN ABOUT, WHICH IS WHY I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THE PUBLIC IS
UNAWARE THAT THIS IS A BURGEONING MASS OF PEOPLE. FOR EVERY NEW BREAST CANCER, THERE
ARE 9 BRAIN INJURIES AND HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW ABOUT BRAIN INJURY COMPARED TO BREAST CANCER?
ALL DISEASES NEED TO BE CURED, BUT BRAIN INJURY IS A VERY BADLY NEGLECTED AREA. MORE FUNDING
IS NEEDED. MORE ATTENTION NEEDDS TO BE PAID TO IT BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE GETS A DIAGNOSIS
OF A SEVERE BRAIN INJURY, THE PROGNOSIS IS USUALLY VERY DISMAL AND NOT MUCH HOPE IS HELD
OUT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ANSWERS. MOST OF THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE ARE IN VITRO
AND AT THE MOMENT NOT BEING APPLIED TO ACTUAL PATIENTS. NUT THEY DON'T HAVE 50 YEARS OR
ANOTHER 100 YEARS TO WAIT. WE MUST FIND A CURE FOR BRAIN INJURY AND RESCUE THESE PEOPLE
FROM LAYING IN BED, WHERE THEY GET NO ATTENTION. PLEASE, SPREAD THE WORD - WE MUST FIND A CURE
FOR BRAIN INJURY. THE TIME HAS COME. THE TIME IS LONG PAST. WE NEED TO BE MUCH FURTHER ALONG
IN HELPING THESE YOUNG LIVES, EVEN OLDER LIVES. ALL LIFE SHOULD BE LIVED FULLY AND NOT JUST
HAVE SOMEONE, HIBERNATE AWAY, DAY AFTER DAY, LAYING IN A BED IN A NURSING HOME WITH NO
HOPE BEING OFFERED. THANK YOU.