The Concussion Experience

Bella has suffered 10+ concussions that have affected her in a multitude of different ways. Everything from sports, careers, and school, to friendships, and relationships with family. Bella was in highschool when she hit her brick wall after hiding her symptoms for months. Because of this, Bella has really emphasized that you never really know what people around you are going through and that not telling anyone was one of the biggest mistakes she's ever made. We can learn a lot from Bella's story as she touches on very important topics of mental health and the struggles associated with concussion recovery. Bella learned that there are many others out there going through similar situations as herself, and that from her experiences, she can help advocate and support others through it. 

Aamna has sustained multiple concussions and her life has been impacted in both a positive and negative way, as a result. Due to the severity of her injury, Aamna experienced post concussion syndrome, and found it challenging to go through the recovery process without fully understanding how to express her limitations. Her symptoms soon manifested into physical body shakes also known as muscle tremors, that were hard to control. Throughout her recovery journey, Aamna experienced a lot of changes that were very daunting for her at the time. Now, she looks back and realizes how much she was able to learn about herself during the recovery process and the resilience she gained as a result.

Lauren had many passions such as dancing at state and national competitions, and later her successful career in special education. Prior to her concussions Lauren always believed that these were what made Lauren who she is… all it took was 5 minutes to change her entire life. Lauren's shares her story of perseverance after experience a lost sense of self and purpose when she could no longer partake in the activities that used to define her. She has since found a passion for storytelling and has created a blog called "The Orange Butterfly" to help connect with other individuals in the concussions community!

Ali Rheaume was an elementary school physical education teacher, a highschool field hockey and track coach, a stand up paddle board instructor, and a  zumba instructor prior to her concussions and TBI. After sustaining multiple concussions, Ali found herself in the hospital at a 10% functioning level. As a result, she endured a long road to recovery including relearning how to walk, talk, chew, and essentially live daily life again. This served as a turning point for her as she realized that it was the beginning of a new journey. It took her away from all sorts of activities that she was passionate about, and shifted her perspective realizing that sustaining an invisible injury like a concussion doesn't change  who we are. Ali took her passion for teaching and brought it to the advocate community where she encourages sharing stories, expressing feelings and communicating needs to turn this invisible injury visible.

Jill Wheatley was a sports teacher whose life changed drastically after sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). After receiving a misdiagnosis at the beginning of her injury, things took a turn for the worse and her symptoms became more challenging and would lead to serious mental health complications as a result. The recovery seemed insurmountable as she experienced  PTSD, loss of vision, eating disorders, and depression. However, even though she  went through the darkest times of her life, she was able to find hope. That hope came in the form of a mountain, and Jill was inspired by the idea of climbing mountains and set off for 13 massifs across the world. Her recovery journey is proof that even during our most challenging times, there is always a shimmer of light we can find through our experiences. 

The Concussion Experience podcast shares the real life stories of Concussion Advocates whose lives have been directly impacted as a result of the brain injury they sustained. These inspiring individuals come from all different walks of life and became Concussion Advocates for the purpose of helping others that might be experiencing the same challenges they faced during the recovery process. Whether it be from the lack of education and resources available, to the mental health complications that can develop as a result of these injuries, there is a distinct gap in the public knowledge surrounding concussions and brain injury. This podcast will uncover the diverse spectrum of experiences from these invisible injuries and how they affected the lives of many.