WHAT IS BRAIN INJURY Your brain controls who you are, how you act and how you interact with your friends, family and the world around you. Brain injury refers to the death of brain cells which results in changes in the way you think, feel and act. CAUSES OF BRAIN INJURY • Direct blow to the head • Head shaken violently (your brain’s thrown against the boney structure of your skull) • Blow elsewhere to your body (resonates to your brain) • Drug and alcohol abuse • Lack of oxygen to the brain
			Check out what happens when you're not wearing a seatbelt.
			WHAT COULD HAPPEN • Seizures (loss of driver's license) • Loss of friendships and relationships (your parents become your best and only friends) • Long and short term memory problems • Physical changes (walking, talking, seeing, hearing) • Feeding tubes and catheter • Emotional issues (anxiety, depression, frustration) • The inability to live on your own (your apartment is a room in a nursing home)
			HOW TO PREVENT A BRAIN INJURY • Wear your seatbelt; make sure everyone in the car wears a seatbelt • Pay attention while driving (cell phones, text messaging, eating, loud music, friends) • Drive within the speed limit • Drive sober • Wear a helmet while on a bike or skateboard