A little compassion and kindness go a long way in life. This is especially true with brain injury. The aftermath of brain injury impacts everyone. It affects the individual in significant ways. It brings change to a family on many levels, and it has extraordinary consequences for the spouse or partner.
Brain injury shrouds the entire family with a cloak of uncertainty and aloneness. Everyone is met with the challenge of rebuilding life, often from ground zero. This is incredibly difficult when the outside world’s perception is “you look like the same family, so behave like the same family.” It takes courage, resiliency, stick-to-itiveness, and most of all, self-compassion to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
The Compassionate Voice is written from the perspective of Helena, a spouse whose husband lives with an acquired brain injury. Her intention is to build greater awareness and conversation around everyday kindness and compassion through her blog. Helena’s experience showed her that to create the change she wanted to see she must first begin with herself.
To read Helena’s insights about her journey, click here.
Additional articles and resources:
Between the Lines: Stories of Brain Injury Survivors – in this six-part series, we share the journey of Tony Mok, stroke survivor and family man. In the fourth segment, Tony shares how counselling benefited his family. To read this segment of Tony’s journey, click here.
The Family Caregivers of British Columbia offers many practical suggestions, resources, and supports. A series of family caregiving videos is also available for viewing. For more information, click here.
