|
New Focus helps people with traumatic brain injuries reclaim their lives
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| |
|
|
| Contact: |
Betsy Storm, Director of Public Relations |
bstorm@anixter.org |
| |
|
|
| Phone: |
(773) 973-7900, Ext. 243 |
|
CHICAGO (March 21, 2005) – German (pronounced “Herman”) Flores is not your typical 20-year-old. After experiencing a severe case of pneumonia in junior high school, German’s health was dealt an additional blow when he developed a brain injury as a result of a lack of oxygen to the brain. Since then, German and his family have struggled to put his life back together. Over the past 15 months, the New Focus Program at Anixter Center has helped German redevelop his social skills, reclaim his short-term memory and become ready to join the workforce.
New Focus is one-of-a kind in Chicago and beyond. It’s a community reintegration program that offers comprehensive rehabilitation to adults who have experienced brain injuries in order to better facilitate their transition from the hospital to life and work in the community. (As you may be aware, state-of-the art rehab programs for people with brain injuries are hard to come by; there simply aren’t many around.) Anixter Center is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the Midwest assisting people with disabilities to live and work successfully in the community.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and the theme of this year’s campaign is Living with Brain Injury. “Years ago, when I was in the hospital after my brain injury, I never thought I’d come as far as I have,” says German Flores, who this week started a job at a packaging business, one of three businesses operated by Anixter Center. “And in fact,” he admits, “back then, I didn’t even want to.” Today, happily, things are different.
Every 21 seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. The leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is vehicle crashes, followed by falls and incidents relation to assaults and firearms.
• • • • • • • • • • •
The mission of the Lester and Rosalie Anixter Center is to assist people with disabilities to live and work successfully in the community. Anixter Center is a leading provider of high-quality vocational, residential and educational options, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and health care. Anixter Center is an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities to be full and equal members of the community.
|
