What is Traumatic Brain Injury?
What is Traumatic Brain Injury? According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “Traumatic brain injury (TBI), a form of acquired brain injury, occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain.”
According to Janna Leyde, the daughter of a TBI victim, TBI is less technical, and more something like this: “You’re 14 and your world gets turned upside down and its really shitty and it’s really scary and its really lonely and there isn’t a guide and there isn’t a lot of other people who can tell you what exactly to do and how to react when someone that you love and that you think is going to grow up in a certain way in your life…changes. That person sort of dies and I say sort of, I mean that person does die.”
I have spoken with Janna many times, and she does knows all that technical stuff, too. And she wants to share her experiences–the technical and scary jargon, the emotional roller coaster, the difficulties of having a parent essentially die, while still being alive–with the rest of the world through her memoir He Never Liked Cake.
Prior to Janna posting her memoir on Pubslush, I was personally very unfamiliar with the term TBI–what it means, who it affects. I knew nothing about this traumatic injury that affects over 1 million people every year. Janna is helping to shed light on what used to be an elusive subject: What is TBI? There’s no other book like this available and not only will He Never Liked Cake be an invaluable resource for the children and family members of TBI victims, but also for the rest of the world, like me, who were unaware and uneducated about the matter.
Janna recently hosted an event in NYC to raise support for her memoir so it can be published. Take the time to listen to a reading from her memoir and hear her discuss why she wanted to write He Never Liked Cake: Janna’s NYC Reading
Also, visit Pubslush to provide support so her memoir can be published and her story (and, really, the story of so many others) can be told.
Spreading the Love of Literacy
I felt very inspired by the Library of Congress and the Ad Council’s newest reading campaign. They stress the importance of reading, particularly to your children. The campaign boasts tag lines such as “Read to a child today and spark a lifetime of ambition.” and “A New World Awaits. Read.” These sentiments hit close to home because here at Pubslush, this is exactly what we believe in. We believe a simple book can change the life of a child, spark their imagination, and, yes, open up new worlds and possibilities. Even better, literacy can give an impoverished child a chance.
Our goal is to put a heart into publishing. There are so many opportunities for philanthropy in the world of books, yet it seems very few people in the industry are actively pursuing any. So, that is why we have vowed that for every book sold, we will donate a book to a child in need. Only people like you can help us to spread the love of literacy to those who need it most through the Pubslush Cause. Also, help instill the passion and love of reading into the children in your own life and support the Library of Congress and Ad Council’s campaign.
The above graphic is courtesy of www.read.gov where you can find more information on the Library of Congress and the Ad Council’s reading campaign.
Amazing story via New York Times! Indiegogo.com raises over $650,000 for a verbally abused school bus monitor. Originally the money was just to grant her a vacation, but with so much unexpected success she now wants to contribute to groups that support those with Down syndrome and autism as well! (via Students Are Suspended for Verbally Abusing School Bus Monitor - NYTimes.com)
Source: The New York Times
