Northeast Center Website of the Month May 2006

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Home > Link Portal > Website of the Month > May 2006

May 2006 Website of the Month

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Northeast Center for Special Care is pleased to feature:

Mothers Against Brain Injury
www.mabii.org

Mothers Against Brain Injury is a website for a growing organization whose mission is to provide a helping hand to parents of newly injured children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Based in Northeast Florida , the organization and website are built on an idea that is uniquely simple and in its wisdom could only come from parents who have had the experience of their own children suffering a traumatic brain injury.

The simple idea: A tote bag.

It's actually a lot more than that. The tote bags are filled with items that are of benefit to parents during the first hours and days after arrival at a trauma center where their child is being cared for.

Tracy East, Carolyn Leonard and Bobbi Layton are parents of teenagers who suffered a critical traumatic brain injury within six months of each other. The teens all attended the same high school as well. These three parents crossed paths as their children were undergoing rehabilitation. During that time they made the observation that upon learning a child has been brought to a trauma center the first thought of any parent is to get to the hospital immediately and no thought to packing a bag.

After talking about their own experiences they recognized a need for toiletries and other items to be given to parents right away. That thought led to the idea of a tote bag that would contain those kinds of items. From there Mothers Against Brain Injury was born.

The tote bags are imprinted with the organizations logo and can be carried as a back pack. They contain: a journal and pen, a business card organizer, a prepaid calling card, personal toiletries, a pillow and blanket, an inspirational book, snacks, valuable information and their children’s stories of hope and encouragement. Each item has an important use which you can learn more about on the Mothers Against Brain Injury website.

IMAGE: Screen shot of the Mothers Against Brain Injury Website.

"Because we've been there........" this statement is atop each page of the Mothers Against Brain Injury website - visitors soon learn its significance.

Tracy, Carolyn and Bobbi began collecting the essential items from family, friends and the local community to fill the tote bags. The tote bags are then donated to Shands Jacksonville and Shands Gainesville Trauma Centers . A specific number are kept on site and presented to families by the respective hospital’s nursing staff.

Besides providing helpful items the tote bags lets parents know that they are not alone - that others have gone through the same experience. The Mothers Against Brain Injury totes can provide the first ray of hope and support those parents will experience.

Tracy East, one of the organization's founders relates:

Having been through the experience, Carolyn, Bobbi and I had only hoped to provide comfort items in the hopes it might make a parents stay in the trauma center or Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) a bit more comfortable. The response has been overwhelming from parents who have received a tote bag. It has been a source of comfort to us (therapy in a way) just helping others through this trauma rather than focusing on the injuries of our children. We can't make TBI go away but we can make it a bit easier to swallow with information and comfort items so that parents are a bit less frightened. Apparently just receiving something from someone who has " been there" provides a great sense of hope that these parents were not alone. They seem to somehow respond to us differently than to the doctors. The outpouring from the community has been wonderful as well. It is my hope that someday in the near future, we can provide our tote bags to every parent of every child being taken to a Trauma Center with a Traumatic Brain Injury.

Indeed Mothers Against Brain Injury has received praise from families and physicians for their work. There have been a number of stories about them in area media as well as stories about the recovery of their children. You can read these when you visit their website.

When you visit, you can also learn how to contribute to Mothers Against Brain Injury which is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and donations are tax deductible. You can also read about upcoming fundraising events on their site. They accept monetary donations and donations of the items that fill the totes such as (new-unopened) sample and travel sized toiletries. Ultimately the hope of the founders is to expand the good work of this organization nationally.

L to R: Carolyn Leonard, Bobbi Layton and Tracy East hold a picture of the Mothers Against Brain Injury logo. In the background are the tote bags that are given to families.

PHOTO: L to R: Carolyn Leonard, Bobbi Layton and Tracy East hold a picture of the Mothers Against Brain Injury logo. In the background are the tote bags that are given to families.

Besides the work Carolyn, Bobbi and Tracy do, they also continue to support their own children through their recovery. There aren’t enough accolades you can bestow on three mothers who during the most difficult experience one could imagine, could have an idea that benefits so many people and then work to bring it to fruition.

The work of Mothers Against Brain Injury doesn't merely touch the parents but its effect also reaches out to the injured children, the doctors and nurses. From a tote bag filled with basic items a parent is better able to care for themselves during a critical time both physically and spiritually.

Equally as important are the items that help parents to organize themselves. No matter what, when a loved-one is injured a parent eventually learns how to become an advocate for the person. Sometimes it is through trial and error during critical situations that parents acquire this skill, but for a few simple items like paper, pen and a business card organizer, a parent gets the basic tools that any good advocate uses.

Please take time to visit Mothers Against Brain Injury and learn more about their mission and work. Their website is just a click away.

Northeast Center for Special Care is happy to present this organization and these special people as our website of the month. Make sure you bookmark them so you can visit again.

IMAGE: A Mothers Against Brain Injury Tote Bag and it's contents - Click on the image to view a larger image.

A Mothers Against Brain Injury Tote Bag and it's contents - Click Here to view a larger image.

Northeast Center for Special Care QUICK FACTS:

Mothers Against Brain Injury: Florida-based organization that provides tote bags with needed items to parents of children who have had a brain injury and are in a trauma center.

Do you have a web resource you think we should consider for our website of the month? Sites can be personal, professional, informative, educational or organizations. Our primary criteria is that a site be unique in some way and offer it's readers useful information and insight. Please click on Suggest-a-Site and let us know about it.

Sites we select will receive a customized award graphic

Image: Award graphic "SAMPLE Winner! Website of the Month www.northeastcenter.com"

Image: Award graphic "SAMPLE Winner! Website of the Month www.northeastcenter.com"

Please don't forget to check back with us next month when we highlight another award-winning website.

Website of the Month Archive:

April 2006:          The Healing Exchange Brain Trust
March 2006:        Erienne Romaine
February 2006:   Vent Weaning.com
January 2006:   Brain Injury News and Information Blog

Questions? E-mail us:
ncsc@northeastcenter.com