Dr. Carrie Childers, an assistant professor in the college’s Department of Communication Disorders, has served as an organizer of the TBI support group through a partnership with the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities since 2014. Childers will appear on the Library Television Network Oct. 17 to help raise awareness for victims of TBI in West Virginia.
“According to a study conducted by the West Virginia University Injury Control Research Center, there are 22,000 new traumatic brain injury cases each year in West Virginia,” Childers said. “We know that awareness about TBI is growing, thanks to media coverage of athletes and members of the military with brain injuries. We also know that people often have difficulty knowing where and how to get access to services and support for TBI.”
Jennifer Tenney, program manager for the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED), said she hopes TBI survivors watching the show will learn about the support groups offered across the state and realize the CED wants to establish more.
“Traumatic Brain Injury is a silent, growing epidemic. Forty percent of all TBIs occur after a fall and in West Virginia, car accidents are the number one cause of TBI,” Tenney said. “After watching the show, I hope that folks understand a little bit about TBI and support groups, why they are important and their role in the TBI survivor’s recovery.”
The show will air on the Library Television Network to over 500,000 subscribers beginning Oct. 17 and continuing until the end of November. The Brain Injury Group of Huntington meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every month on the third floor of the downtown Cabell County Library. Survivors of TBI and their family members and caregivers are encouraged to attend.
Opportunities are provided for individuals with TBI and caregivers to meet separately to discuss topics that are uniquely relevant to each group. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/HuntingtonBIG >online or call 304-696-2984 or 304-696-2982. To learn more about the programs and services offered within the Marshall College of Health Professions, visit www.marshall.edu/cohp online.
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Photo: The Brain Injury Group of Huntington was established in 2014 as a resource for victims of Traumatic Brain Injury. The next meeting for the support group will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, on the third floor of the downtown Cabell County Library. All community members are welcome.