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Brain
Injury Association
of New Hampshire 109 N. State St., Concord, NH 03301 603-225-8400 ~ 1-800-773-8400 |
| FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 2004 |
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| CONTACT:
Ceridwen Lewin, Coordinator of Communications & Public Awareness. (603) 225-8400 or e-mail. |
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BRAIN
INJURY ASSOCIATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ANNOUNCES ALARMING PREVALENCE OF BRAIN
INJURY, THE SILENT EPIDEMIC.
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| The DiBello family knows firsthand the struggles of living with a brain injury. David DiBello was a young child when he sustained his brain injury. Now in his 20's, the family works to help make his transition to adulthood a little easier. This family is eager to talk with you about their own experience with this often misunderstood and underestimated public health issue. | |
| After several years of data collection, analysis and reporting, the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire, in conjunction with the State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, will now release their findings. The state-wide registry, which is based on data collected in 1998, includes information about injury by age, gender and other demographic factors, highlighting the prevalence of this 'silent epidemic'. In 1998 alone, more than 170 people died from a brain injury, while another 4446 received a brain injury serious enough to require medical attention. Many of these injuries were sustained by New Hampshire's young people. Motor vehicle crashes were among the most common causes of injuries in New Hampshire. | |
| When most people are asked to think of the most pressing health issues, they think of AIDS, cancer, heart disease or others, but the incidence of traumatic brain injury far exceeds these issues in terms of death, disability and hospitalization. Brain injury is the leading cause of death for New Hampshire's young people, even though most of these injuries are predictable and preventable. Prevention is the only cure for brain injury and awareness is the best path to prevention. | |
| The mission of the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire is to create a better future through brain injury prevention, education and advocacy. The goal of the Brain Injury Association is to prevent those injuries that can be, and to lessen the severity of those brain injuries that may be unavoidable. Founded twenty-one years ago by New Hampshire parents who joined together - literally around the kitchen table - to work together and help one another, today we represent over 5,000 New Hampshire families and survivors of brain injury. | |
Copyright © 2004 - 1998 Brain Injury Association
of New Hampshire
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