Portrait: Duncan
11 years ago, I was a 38-year-old P.E. teacher and father of 2 young children when I collapsed in my bathroom early one morning while getting ready for work...
Survivor Stories
Many of you have written to SameYou about your experience of brain injury and told us how you identified with Emilia's story. There was a common feeling of relief about hearing a familiar story from someone young, and speaking out to normalize the injury. People were comforted that Emilia had gone through something similar to them or to a family member or loved one.
The overwhelming emotion was of gratitude that Emilia was breaking her silence and that enabled and emboldened so many others to tell their brain injury story - some for the first time. It was as if people now have permission to speak out about their story.
I get days when I just want to give up. But after hearing your story it has made me realize, I'm not on my own!
You have told us that by sharing your stories, and reading other people's, offers hope, comfort and much needed peer-to-peer support that is often hard to find.
SameYou have created this support resource called Portraits to tell the untold story of brain injury. If you would like to share your story, you can submit your story via our Share your story page.
Portrait: John
My story takes place back in May of 2000 when I was 10-years-old. Around 5pm on a Friday afternoon I started having a bad headache. I told my parents about it and they handed me some Tylenol, assuming it was just my allergies. That didn’t solve the problem.
I later found out that I was experiencing a brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) - a tangle of blood vessels that connects arteries to veins. It had started to rupture on the left side of my brain causing the pain to get worse. I told my parents I was dying.
Portrait: Kerry
In 2013, I suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm, like Emilia. It happened out of the blue, just 3 months after my baby was born. I had been experiencing what I would say was a very mild, dull headache for a few days. A bit like a hangover and I couldn’t shift it.
Portrait: Tamsyn
7 years ago, on a Saturday after a night out, I felt unwell. I thought maybe it was a hangover. I went to bed early and woke the next morning with a terrible headache...
Portrait: Jeff
September 14, 2018, according to my MapMyRun, I was around 10 miles in a long run in Cambridge, MA USA when I was struck at a crosswalk by a car going 37 miles per hour.
Portrait: Rirhandzu
In 2020, at only 13 years old, Rirhandzu was involved in a car accident and was diagnosed with a Traumatic Brain Injury.
Portrait: Mark
Mark and his wife were on a holiday of a lifetime, when the expression actually took on a whole new meaning for them.
Portrait: Sarah
Sarah had the first of two strokes on April 19, 2016, two days after her 30th birthday. She talks about the importance of raising awareness of stroke in young people and having access to more support to live a full life.
Portrait: Bethanne
In this compelling survivor story, we meet Bethanne, a resilient individual whose life changed following a rapid decline in health and subsequent stroke.
Portrait: Ginger
Within 2 months, Ginger had 2 brain injury surgeries which would go on to change her life in ways she had never imagined. In her story, she addresses important concepts that many survivors have to navigate.