BRAIN INJURY PREVENTION

A recent Kansas Department of Health and Environment report estimated that annually over 21,000 Kansans sustained a TBI. In addition, there are an unknown number of individuals that sustain the most common form of brain injury – the concussion. An estimated 2.4 million people in the U.S, including 475,000 children, sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. For these survivors, the struggle to regain independence is not a short term effort. Since 1982, BIAKS has strived to improve the quality of life for those affected by brain injury.

BIAKS has continued to make the Bicycle Helmet Safety program a priority because studies have shown that helmet use provides a 63–88% reduction in the risk of head, brain and severe injury for all ages of bicyclists. An August 2008 US Consumer Product Safety Commission report found that the total annual cost of traffic-related bicyclist death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than $2.2 billion. For every dollar spent on a bicycle helmet, it is estimated that the community saves $30 in direct medical costs.

Each year BIAKS-GKC provides bicycle helmets to children in need. With each personalized helmet fitting, the child learns why wearing a helmet is so important.

For more information on Prevention, go to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention’s site, and search the word “Heads Up”.

For more information on Concussions, go to the Brain Injury Association of America’s Concussion Information Center.

Facing a brain injury is a difficult challenge. The Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City is here to help. BIAKS is part of the National Brain Injury Information Center. Call 800-444-6443 or 913-754-8883, extension 1, to reach our Program Director.