Author: Allison Mollner

28: Ableism and Brain Injury

Ableism impacts individuals with physical disabilities as well as those who are neurodiverse. In this episode, we discuss what ableism is and how it impacts those with disabilities, particularly those in the brain injury community. Sabrina speaks with Seth Barronian, a brain injury survivor with both physical disabilities and who is also neurodiverse, and Alan Barronian, his father and caregiver, about their experiences with ableism. Seth discusses how he has experienced ableism both in his personal and professional life, and Alan shares his perspective as a caregiver. They also discuss how to help those with invisible disabilities, and how to be an ally and an advocate for those with all disabilities.

27: Building Community and Finding Support

In this episode of the Brain Injury Today Podcast, new host Sabrina Bonaparte explores the importance of finding and building a community of survivors of brain injury. Her husband, Brandon Blake suffered a traumatic brain injury 8 years ago and found a community of people whom he could relate and recover with. One of the people Brandon met in a support group is his friend, Christian Rusby. This episode explores the importance of support groups and community for both survivors of brain injury and their caregivers.

26: Dr. Monica Vavilala: A Roadmap for Accelerating Progress

The labels of “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe” to classify traumatic brain injury (TBI) are imprecise and are ineffective. Dr. Monica Vavilala is a board-certified anesthesiologist and director of Harborview’s Injury Prevention and Research Center. Earlier this year Dr. Vavilala served on a task force to help update and personalize traumatic brain injuries to better guide patient care. In this conversation, Dr. Vavilala shares why this update and personalization for traumatic brain injuries is crucial for both doctors and patients.

25: The Ultimate Guidebook for Brain Injury Survivors, Caregivers and Professionals (Pt. 2)

In this episode we continue our discussion about a groundbreaking new book called Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide for Survivors and Families by BIAWA Board Member Richard Adler. Deborah and Richard discuss the value of the book with two doctors who contributed to its development: Dr. Samuel Browd and Dr. Gary Stobbe. They discuss how the book helps fill information gaps about traumatic brain injury for their patients and fellow medical professionals.