Resident Amy Jennings, a stroke survivor and advocate for brain injury, will take part in a promotional bus tour of Australia to raise awareness of traumatic brain injuries.
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Ms Jennings will assist Belinda Adams, Synapse ambassador, in driving ‘Belinda’s Big Bus’ through Yass on Thursday July 27 to break down barriers for brain injuries.
The stopover in Yass will be at Tootsie at 11.30am–12.30pm.
Ms Jennings, 36, experienced a haemorrhage in 2013. It was the result of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which she was born with but was never detected until after the stroke.
An AVM is rare and is a tangle of blood vessels that results in an abnormal connection between arteries and veins, creating a point of weakness.
Ms Jennings had her stroke while getting ready for work as an accountant. She had a headache at the time and thankfully was able to ring her husband just in time before she lost all ability to speak and her consciousness.
She was taken to Manning Base Hospital, Taree, where a brain scan identified bleeding. She was then airlifted to Newcastle where she had surgery and ultimately spent nine months undergoing intensive rehabilitation.
Ms Jennings said that this initiative is important because “brain injuries and stroke are not that well understood in the community”.
“Stroke is the leading cause of disability in Australia and can happen to anyone. I have to live with disability every day and I’d like to think in the future people suffering from a brain injury have a better chance of recovery,” Ms Jennings said.
For Ms Adams, her journey began when her son, Dylan, sustained a traumatic brain injury. Since then, she has become an active advocate for Dylan and broader brain injury awareness.
Ms Jennings is also associated with Synapse, an organisation dedicated to supporting those affected by brain injuries.
She said she was excited about meeting Ms Adams as the campaign “is also something I’m very passionate about”.
The tour began in Brisbane on July 15 and will finish there on August 25 during Brain Injury Awareness Week.
More information about the campaign online at Synapse.