The Functional Libertarian
May 23, 2013
You may not be aware of this, but there are precious few facilities in our country that are worthy of the name that are set aside for brain-injured adults to live in and receive the care and assistance they so strongly need. And with so many of our country’s soldiers and veterans who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf War who have been brain-injured as a result of being in close proximity to explosions, we have nowhere to put them so that they can thrive up to their own individual limits. In fact, I have heard from many family members of brain-injured adults that you wouldn’t want to keep your dogs or cats in most of the places that are now available for these fragile people.
This is a breach of contract by us to our soldiers who have fought to keep us free, even to the degree that it is a national disgrace! So please join me and other good people in promising our brain-injured Veterans on this Memorial Day that we will work hard together to correct this failure.
Fortunately there is hope that this promise can be fulfilled, because there is an organization called B.R.A.I.N., which stands for Brain Rehabilitation And Injury Network, that is developing a plan to meet the needs of these brain-injured survivors. It is based in the City of Cypress in Orange County, California.
As you can see from its website at www.thebrainsite.org, this great organization has plans to purchase and develop a multi-acre campus where brain-injured adults can live, have suitable recreation, and receive appropriate medical care, medication and therapy. In addition, the plan is also both to facilitate the residents to use mass transit to commute to suitable places of employment, and also to encourage employers to bring suitable employment on to the campus itself.
Of course, this campus will be for the general population in addition to our Veterans because the need for such a facility is so great in the civilian community as well. That also means that, although it will work closely with the Veteran’s Administration, B.R.A.I.N.’s campus will be a separate entity.
In the meantime, this charitable organization exists to help brain-injured survivors and their families who are in need of resources, whether they can afford the help or not. And since it has such a high ratio of volunteer help, B.R.A.I.N. is able to offer its services without the expectation of financial gain.
The services include having a hotline to take calls from either the survivors or their family members who are asking for help. And, since these issues are so important, the staff seeks personally to answer each call within two business days and provide some needed assistance with a true personal touch within that timeframe.
One of the most important parts of the program is the opportunity for the survivors to be paired up with their own volunteer. The staff knows that the survivors almost always improve at a faster rate when they are engaged in real life and coached by an understanding and sensitive partner.
The program also includes weekly nuts and bolts meetings both for the survivors of a brain injury and also for their family members. That means that the entire family can receive valuable information about what all of them are facing.
In addition, the assistance includes helping the survivors to learn skills in communication, public speaking, game playing, and other social activities. And it also includes special presentations by physicians, therapists and state of the art researchers, as well as legal and financial representatives, to give practical information, inspiration and encouragement to the families who are impacted by brain injuries.
So if you or someone you know has a friend or loved one who has suffered a brain injury, let them know about B.R.A.I.N. and its social networking program. And you can also sign up for a monthly newsletter with information and interesting articles frequently written by survivors who tell their own story of mishap and victory. Just call Sue Rueb at B.R.A.I.N. at 714 828-1760.
Once you see that brain-injured adults can thrive with the right care and inspiration, you will want to be involved in this great organization. And once you focus upon what is needed, not only in the civilian community, but also with our returning brain-injured veterans, you will want to help to expand this program to include a live-in facility. Why? Because there can be joy even in the midst of such a tragedy as brain injury. And a helping hand, a touch, a smile, and a listening ear are often exactly what the survivors and their families need.
No one signed up to be in this club of the brain-injured. But we are all in this together because… brain injury can happen to anyone – and that certainly includes our Veterans. So let’s all celebrate this Memorial Day by giving thanks to our Veterans and other survivors of brain injuries in a tangible way by helping B.R.A.I.N. to expand its work! It is hard to imagine a more worthwhile or more gratifying gift.
James P. Gray is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the author of “Wearing the Robe: the Art and Responsibilities of Judging in Today’s Courts” (Square One Press, 2010), and the 2012 Libertarian candidate for vice president, along with Governor Gary Johnson for president. Judge Gray can be contacted at [email protected] or through www.JudgeJimGray.com.