LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - According to the Brain Injury Association, every 9 seconds someone in the United States sustains a brain injury.
The month of March marks Brain Injury Awareness Month and a young woman in central Arkansas is hoping to raise awareness about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) by sharing her personal story and helping others who are suffering.
Two years ago, in a matter of seconds, life changed forever for yoga instructor, Stacey Reynolds.
“I got up in the middle of the night to close an air vent over my bed and met with a ceiling fan that cracked my head and gave me a concussion,” Stacey Reynolds said.
That concussion was considered by her doctor as a traumatic brain injury, which can be caused by falls, car crashes, or in Reynolds case, being struck by an object.
“Often times we look fine. My own family never really understood the gravity of it until I was melting down and not able to pull myself together,” she said.
In the months that followed, Reynolds struggled with memory loss and anxiety, which not only affected her, but her loved ones.
“I immediately had trouble with memory and recall. I had people I had known for 20 plus years and when they walked in door I could not tell you their name. I knew that I knew who they were in context of how I knew them, but I couldn't tell you their name and I still can’t,” said Reynolds.
Dr. Analiz Rodriguez works in the department of neurosurgery at UAMS and said oftentimes people who suffer a traumatic brain injury don't realize that they have suffered a brain injury or the long term effects that come with it.
“[They suffer from] irritability, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, sometimes a loss of smell,” Dr. Rodriguez said.
Dr. Rodriguez said millions of Americans are living with traumatic brain injuries and while many cases are mild, some can be deadly.
“For example, about 150 people die per day from a brain injury,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said, in most cases, rest is the key to healing the brain.
“You need to protect your brain for a period of time while it heals,” Dr. Rodriguez said.
Two years later, Reynolds is still healing, however she said she has been able to regain pieces of her life. She even teaches yoga classes specifically for individuals who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. The class is also open to those caring for someone with a TBI.
“I can look back and say everything that has ever happened to me was for me to able to help someone and my head injury is no different,” Reynolds said.
The Love Your Brain classes begin the first week of April at Blue Yoga Nyla in North Little Rock and run for 6 weeks.
They classes are free, however space is limited.
You can sign up at www.loveyourbrain.org