New Animated Video Explains “What It’s Like To Live With A Brain Injury”
New video from De Caro & Kaplen, LLP sets out to reveal what it’s like to live with a TBI.
Shana De Caro, a senior partner in the firm, explains why they created the video:
“Traumatic brain injury is often called ‘The Invisible Injury’ as symptoms may not be apparent to an observer. And for those suffering from a TBI it can be difficult to explain how they feel. While every TBI is different, and everyone experiences their injury in a unique way, our video attempts to explain some of the common symptoms and feelings an individual may confront after brain injury.”
The video, which can be viewed on the firm’s website1 and YouTube channel2, is titled ‘The Invisible Rain Cloud’. A conversation with a former client provided the inspiration for the project.
“I had been speaking with a former client, who described living with traumatic brain injury as ‘dragging around a personal rock’. “I thought it was a great analogy, and it stayed with me. Others find it difficult to comprehend, so I started thinking about how to explain what it’s like from the perspective of someone with a brain injury”, explained Shana.
Shana, who was recently re-elected for a second consecutive term as secretary of the Brain Injury Association of America, continued, “I decided to reach out to the TBI community for further feedback. While describing their symptoms, several individuals mentioned a fog in their head that was invisible. We decided to call this fog an ‘invisible rain cloud’, and in our video, the cloud haunts the protagonist, illustrating the symptoms and experiences of life with traumatic brain injury.”
Michael V. Kaplen, a partner in the firm, who chairs the New York State Traumatic Brain Injury Services Coordinating Council and is a former President of the Brain Injury Association of New York, believes that the video will help people with a brain injury to explain many of their hidden scars and difficulties, and assist family and friends understand the frustrations survivors face in their daily lives.
“We believe that ‘The Invisible Rain Cloud’ accurately conveys the experiences and emotions of many brain injury survivors, and early feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. But, our video makes it clear that every brain injury is different. While we are confident that a large number of individuals with TBI will identify with the symptoms we describe and the analogies we use, a brain injury is incredibly complex and others may experience their injury in a different way. ” says Kaplen.
Kaplen highlights the extraordinary CDC figures of the prevalence of TBI-related disabilities as evidence that more needs to be done to help individuals who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. “Brain injuries must be regarded as a public health crisis in the US, and advocacy, education, and resources must be devoted to this devastating condition. A traumatic brain injury is a life changing event which impacts the daily lives over 5 million Americans and their families.”
Michael concludes, “The injury may be invisible, but the devastating ramifications have a significant, life-long impact. We hope that ‘The Invisible Rain Cloud’ will help propel TBI into the political and public consciousness.”
Watch ‘The Invisible Rain Cloud: A Short Story About Traumatic Brain Injury3’ on YouTube here.
Michael V. Kaplen
De Caro & Kaplen, LLP
+1 914-747-4410
email us here
WATCH NOW: The Invisible Rain Cloud at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS0F_k4GT9Y
1 https://brainlaw.com/invisible-rain-cloud/
2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS0F_k4GT9Y
3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS0F_k4GT9Y