My name is Kelsey Boyer and I am the founder of Save A Brain. Save A Brain is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to spread awareness of the long term mental and physical effects caused by Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and concussions. We aim to connect individuals to treatment centers and provide financial support so they have the opportunity to heal and treat their brains to continue living a fulfilled life. I created Save A Brain because I sustained a traumatic brain injury in 2016 and had to undergo immediate brain surgery, my life has never been the same.
I was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma which shifted my brain 11 mm. My brain was bleeding for two weeks after I had sustained a handful of concussions within a two month period. The doctors said it was a miracle I was alive. I am so thankful for my friend Micah for forcing me into the emergency room, because if she didn’t… I would not be here today. What the doctors didn’t say is what has impacted my life the most. Every brain injury is different so they never told me how I would have emotional side effects, slower cognitive function, issues sleeping and dysfunctional eye function. I’ve come to learn that no one is warned about these issues that flip your life upside down and seem impossible to enjoy life.
I’ve come a long way on my own because I would not accept that this was my new normal, something had to be done. After 3 years of having difficulties I found Cognitive FX. Cognitive FX is a treatment center located in Utah that takes a functional MRI of your brain and studies blood flow and oxygen movement to locate where your brain is damaged. Their studies and findings have proven that the brain can heal, rewire and refire the dead neurons that have been damaged during the accident. Finally, a sense of hope but wait… I can’t afford the treatment. Unfortunately health insurance covers little to none of these new and upcoming treatments. Once again, I was emotionally exhausted on how I was supposed to come up with the money. Then I found High Fives Foundation. The High Fives Foundation is a non-profit who supports the dreams of outdoor action sports athletes by raising injury awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who suffer life-altering injuries. I applied for a grant with no not too much hope of receiving it, and I found out I was approved! The treatment at Cognitive FX was a week long and very challenging, I have never been pushed so hard mentally. After the last scan, my brain was fully back to a functioning brain prior to my head injury. All of my issues subsided and I felt like myself again; I cried as soon as I left the treatment center. How can this be? Three years of fighting a battle and the weight on my chest was gone. My life will never be the same because I am always reminded that I must be kinder to myself and prevent future damage to my brain.
My injury imprinted me in ways that I never thought it would and has taught me more about myself than imagined. Myself and millions of people are faced with a reality that this could be our new normal and it sets us up on a downward spiral. It is so frustrating that many of these treatments aren’t covered by health insurance because they are so new and considered to be outside of the scope of conventional medicine. Imagine if more people living with long term effects from one accident could be helped and their voices could be heard. This invisible injury takes over joyful lives and leaves individuals, caregivers and families in a position where loneliness speaks louder than words. I believe that there is power in numbers. One of Save A Brain’s values is knowing that we can help physically save a brain from depression, pain and suffering. Together we can form a community, spread awareness and save a brain. At the end of the day… we only get one brain!