Air Force veteran Tina Garcia woke up in a daze after her car was rear-ended in 2002. She was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recovery was tough, but her efforts eventually led her down a surprising path.
Garcia connected with a regional education coordinator for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at Fort Carson, Colorado. With the encouragement of her coordinator, and new friend, she found the courage to share her story with a larger audience — on stage. She signed up for the Miss Colorado Senior America pageant. It was her first pageant ever, yet Garcia wasn’t in the pageant to win. She was there to show other military families and veterans that recovery from TBI is possible. Garcia gave a moving speech about recovering from concussions and TBI.
Garcia shares her story as a TBI champion for A Head for the Future, the TBI awareness and prevention initiative from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center: http://dvbic.dcoe.mil
Visit http://dvbic.dcoe.mil/aheadforthefuture to learn about inspiring stories from those in the military community who experienced brain injuries and sought help. The website also features additional resources to prevent, recognize and recover from brain injury.
Follow the initiative on Twitter @AHFTF_Page, and the A Head for the Future page on Facebook.
It’s important to know that each brain injury is different. Not everyone with TBI experiences the same signs and symptoms -- this is why it's always a good idea to get checked out by a medical provider.
