Be brain aware: use your helmet

By wearing helmets like these three, one can reduce their chances of impact-related brain injury by as much as 85 per cent, a fact that the B.V. Brain Injury Association would like to drive home during Brain Injury Awareness month.

As we in the valley are on the precipice of summer, with longer, sunnier days, getting out and getting active has become commonplace. Bikes, skateboards, you name it, they’ve all come out, but so should another piece of equipment: a helmet.
Such a simple piece of equipment, service coordinator with the B.V. Brain Injury Association (BVBIA) Phyllis Havard said, and yet one that has the potential to save someone from brain injury.
“Please wear a helmet, we would rather not see you in our office,” Havard said. “We prefer that you protect your once in a lifetime brain, just in case you want to ride again tomorrow.”
Since 1993, the BVBIA has been assisting those from Hazelton to Houston who are affected by brain injuries, including the caretakers and family members. BVBIA offers support groups, case management, one-to-one support, prevention, advocacy and support for families. In the past year, they’ve been very grateful for the support provided from the B.V. Community Foundation, the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation, and the Literacy Now Project, who were instrumental in helping get new helmets on so many of the residents in the Bulkley Valley.
There are many causes for brain injury, such as stroke, heart attack, abuse of drugs and alcohol, motor vehicle accidents, just to name a few. BVBIA Executive Director Katherine Metz says that while not all brain injuries are preventable, there are certain cases where prevention is possible. Traumatic (impact-induced) brain injuries, such as falling off a bicycle or a skateboard are greatly reduced by wearing a helmet, by as much as 85 per cent.
Problems resulting from brain injury often dramatically change people’s lives, Havard said. What they used to find easy may now be difficult, or even impossible, while their friends say that “they’re just not the same person”. Typically, Havard said, there are problems with memory, concentration, balance and decision making. Sometimes the cases are severe enough that work, or school, is no longer an option for a person living with a brain injury.
“This is why we’re on this,” Havard said.
As June is Brain Injury Awareness Month, the message the BVBIA will be driving home is that education and prevention is the key. A high risk group for not wearing helmets are those aged 12 to 18. Throughout the year, the association will be doing educational talks in the schools in the Bulkley Valley.
Some helmet tips:
•The chin strap has to be fastened.
•If it rocks from side to side, or from front to back, it may be too big, or it needs adjusting.
•Wear the helmet at all times while biking or skateboarding, not just part time.
•If the helmet is involved in a crash, replace it.
•The cost is approximately $50 — about the same as two large pizzas, which disappear and do nothing to reduce your risk of brain injury.
•When purchasing a bike, plan to buy a helmet too — they’re a team!