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December 2018 Newsletter

Format QuotePosted on December 20, 2018August 27, 2020Author AdministratorCategories Newsletters

Please click here to check out our December 2018 newsletter!

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Sensory fatigue – feels like everything has been Sensory fatigue – feels like everything has been run through an amplifier, every noise smell, touch and movement can be 10x stronger than it would be on a normal day. It feels like an attack on the senses and leaves you with a feeling of sensory overload. 

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#UnderstandingBrainInjury
Emotional fatigue - is like an emotional lucky dip Emotional fatigue - is like an emotional lucky dip where you can go from 1 to 100 in 2.3 seconds. It can range from being angry and having a full-on screaming match inside your head to physically crying for reasons that are still unknown to you, to a point of complete exhaustion. 

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#UnderstandingBrainInjury
Physical fatigue – can feel like a body hangover Physical fatigue – can feel like a body hangover, the brain is ready to go but the body is non-compliant. You know and can remember everything you need to get done throughout the day but physically you are made of lead, every movement takes 10x more effort than it would normally take, even rolling over in bed can be draining. 

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#UnderstandingBrainInjury
Mental fatigue – its like trying to run a comput Mental fatigue – its like trying to run a computer with slow WIFI. You can complete a task if you are trying to battle this kind of fatigue, but it will take you significantly longer to download the information and open a new page. Also, at any point throughout this process the computer may decide to re boot or install updates or close all pages. 

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#UnderstandingBrainInjury
Welcome to my world of fatigue – spoiler alert f Welcome to my world of fatigue – spoiler alert fatigue doesn’t mean tired or sleepy for people with brain injuries. Our fatigue has many faces and on any given day any or all of my brain power fuel tanks will be empty, leaving me to deal with a complicated mix of symptoms. 

Think of it as my fatigue fingerprint and every person with a brain injury has their own unique type whether you can see it or not. I have learned to mask, cope and combat these over the past 23 years of living with a brain injury. But those that are still learning their fatigue fingerprint can and do struggle to combat fatigue. 

Over the next four posts I’m going to share my fingerprint of fatigue and what it feels like because understanding is powerful and possibly the best thing anyone can strive for to create a world that is welcoming and safe for everyone’s brain.

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#UnderstandingBrainInjury
Over the next week we’re doing a deep dive into Over the next week we’re doing a deep dive into the world of fatigue with Hailey, one of the young adults in our community. Understanding is the foundation of inclusion and there is no better way to understand than through the lived experience of others. So, stay tuned for a new post every day. 

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#UnderstandingBrainInjury
Saturday's Parent Retreat was wonderful. Lots of c Saturday's Parent Retreat was wonderful. Lots of chat, coffee, food (generously donated by Alfa Bakehouse), and fun was had.

The highlight did appear to be the smartphone photography sessions run by Paul from Alfonso Calero Photography but the massage and manicure from Total Relaxation and mindfulness sessions with Yogamigos were also a treat!

Thank you to those of you who came along ❤️. We will be doing this again!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
Sim has reported she made it to the finish line in Sim has reported she made it to the finish line in 1hr 40 mins.  She has pulled up remarkably well with some sensitive bit toenails but other than that she is feeling on top of the world. 

Dont forget if you would like to show your support, please donate what you can by following the link https://www.headstogether.org.au/donate/ . Any donations above $2 are tax deductible.

Well done Sim, awesome effort!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#Run4theKids2023
#ABI #TBI #braininjuryawareness #headstogetherfor #ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
One of our long standing community members, Sim Ke One of our long standing community members, Sim Kendall, is getting her running shoes on again for this Sunday's Run for the Kids, and once again she is generously donating funds to Heads Together. Last week the Herald Sun did a lovely article on Sim and her son Miles, where you can see they are both proudly wearing their HT tshirts! So, give Sim and cheer on this Sunday morning, and if you want to support her cause, jump on this link https://www.headstogether.org.au/donate/ . Go Sim, we will cross our fingers for clear skies and no blisters!!!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#RunForTheKids2023
Think about how many people in your life who exper Think about how many people in your life who experience mental health challenges and imagine if they also had to cope with a life changing, traumatic event which instantly changes who you are, how you experience and access the world, how you see yourself and your role within your family, friends and life in general.

It’s A LOT right? But don’t worry there’s something you can do, just try to understand, believe that their experience is real even if you can’t see it, and respect that it takes A LOT of energy, strength and perseverance to just keep showing up.

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
We had another lovely Wellbeing Wednesday bringing We had another lovely Wellbeing Wednesday bringing special items from home and decorating our desks. Reminded us how much of a difference it makes to have some special things in your workspace that make you smile, laugh and remember what’s important.

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
This affects your ability to use language and spee This affects your ability to use language and speech to exchange information, thoughts or feelings.

Think about the impact of this on a young person’s life.

On making connections and building relationships.

On learning – coping at school, navigating new faces, places and skills, working in a team.

It’s like an invisible barrier that complicates how you connect with people. Almost like there’s a third person in every conversation that is yelling “you’re not doing this right”!

Imagine the frustration of knowing what you want in any interaction with someone and not being able to fully understand or get your point across.

How hard would that be? 

Now think about more than 525,000 young people living with these challenges every day and how much it could change their life if more people understood what they were going through.

#thinkbeforeyoujudge
#getmegetmybraininjury
#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
The Heads Together Orchard is Growing! Meet our aw The Heads Together Orchard is Growing!
Meet our awesome HT Staff Team 2023 and special welcome to our newest apple on the tree, Grace Schroeder, who starts today as our Heading Out Program Coordinator
What a bunch of happy apples!!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
Wellbeing Wednesday We’ve just launched a new te Wellbeing Wednesday We’ve just launched a new team tradition called Wellbeing Wednesday as our commitment to making sure our team and our community R OK every day It’s all about filling our buckets in fun and easy ways every week, and we want to invite everyone to get involved and try out our warm, wonderful, sometimes wild and wacky wellbeing Wednesday activities with the people in your communities! Today we had an International Women’s Day theme and all shared one thing that we are proud of achieving, professionally and personally as a woman or a supporter of women. We were all so moved by the multitude of ways that women have shaped and changed our worlds for the better and ended our days with buckets overflowing, mission accomplished! See you next Wednesday.

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
#WellbeingWednesday
On the shoulders of Giants. To celebrate Internat On the shoulders of Giants.

To celebrate International Womens Day, we honour three incredible women from the Heads Together community who are no longer with us but whose memory and legacy are part of the foundation of our amazing community. 

Barb Heine, our Founder’s beloved Mum, who not only donated the funds to get our Family camps off the ground but also volunteered at every camp until she passed away in 2010. “She is my hero, my compass and my champion, always” Kate Heine 
Her spirit and strength continue to fuel the core of Heads Together and her legacy of support continues to drive our organisation, and so many other non profits, through her foundation Kids and Families.

Kerri Patford, Mum of Seth and Zeke and wife of Simon, and a treasured Heads Together community member since 2011. Kerri was a friend and supporter to everyone in our community, a tireless champion for her boys, and a devoted nurse to all those lucky enough to be in her care. Her courage and kindness were an example to us all, and she is missed everyday. 

Monique Watts, daughter of Lee and Gavin, much loved sister to Nick and Tamikah, and Mum to her own beautiful kids Siennah and Elijah. Monique was one of the amazing siblings in our community who started coming to camps way back in the early days. Her warmth and compassion always stood out and helped us to understand the complexities and the resilience that comes with the siblings lived experience. We will never forget your beautiful smile, your strength and your love for your family. 

As we celebrate International Womens Day, we invite you to think about the amazing women whose shoulders you stand on and the impact they have had on your lives. 

“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.” – Diane Mariechild 

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#IWD2023
Thank you so much to those working on Mary Poppins Thank you so much to those working on Mary Poppins The Musical and everyone at Her Majesty's Theatre. Heads Together for ABI were lucky enough to receive three double passes to the show for us to share with our community!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
Are you surprised by the fact that more than twice Are you surprised by the fact that more than twice as many Australians live with brain injury?

That's the power of advocacy, and we acknowledge the amazing work that the Autism community have done around building awareness and understanding of people living with ASD. We can also see what a difference representation makes, and that popular shows like Atypical and Love on the Spectrum have really brought ASD into the mainstream and given the general public more insight and hopefully more capacity to be inclusive and respectful of people's neurodiversity. 

We are committed to driving the same kind of change for young people impacted by brain injury, and would love our followers to share these Did you know posts to spread the awareness. If you've got ideas about what kind of information we should be sharing, please let us know, respond to this post or fill in an enquiry form on www.headstogether.org.au.

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
#YouCantUnderstandWhatYouDontKnow
We are so excited to be kicking off our first ever We are so excited to be kicking off our first ever regional project this year. Thanks to the generosity of our newest philanthropic partners, the Shine On Foundation, we're able to focus specifically on the needs of the rapidly growing number of regional families at Heads Together, who now represent 25% of our family community. 

Over the next 12 months we will be piloting a brand new regional outreach service where some of the Heads Together team, together as always with our amazing lived experience consultants, will head out to regional Vic and meet with families and the key people in their communities to find positive solutions for creating inclusive, fun and meaningful lives for young people with brain injuries and their families. 

So stay tuned for updates as we hit the road!!!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit 
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#traumaticbraininjury
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing 
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#ABIAwareness
#ABISurvivor
#TBISurvivor
#braininjurysurvivor
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
Yesterday afternoon, Taylor Jenkin, our HOPE Resea Yesterday afternoon, Taylor Jenkin, our HOPE Research Officer, presented at the Rehab for Kids Conference in Brisbane. This is the first time that the Heads Together Online Peer Education project has been presented on a national level as a new resource for kids and families impacted by brain injury. We are so proud of our amazing community for driving this project and being its storytellers, this is a huge step forward for Heads Together and more importantly for the lived experience perspective and the role it plays in rehabilitation. Just wow!!

#ABI
#TBI
#braininjuryawareness 
#headstogetherforabi
#headstogetherforbraininjury 
#nonprofit
#braininjury 
#accuiredbraininjury 
#headinjury 
#braininjurysupport 
#mentalwellbeing
#braininjuryadvocacy 
#inclusivity 
#LivedExperience
#Volunteering
#YouCantBeWhatYouCantSee
#UnderstandMeUnderstandMyBrainInjury
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