TBI – Survivors, Caregivers, Family, and Friends

Posts tagged ‘Erin Lea Beville’

SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guest Blogger: Erin Lieben

Inspiring Other Survivors

by

Erin Lieben

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

 

Girl Blogger cartoon_picture_of_girl_writingIt’s okay to lose hope sometimes. We will never be the same as before. You’ll get used to the “new you,” and you’ll be a tough, beautiful, brave individual who knows what it’s like to feel hopeless. And, that is what makes it all worth it – because you can give hope to others.

bigstock_hope_2576413Tell other survivors that it’s okay to be the “new you” and to not necessarily meet the status quo or the goals they were striving for before their brain injury. Tell them to just make a new game-plan and to be exceedingly thankful for the little things they previously took for granted.

23804465_1469432809758930_2026712132_n

Erin Lieben – Brain Injury Survivor

When I present my story to others, my goal is for them to feel inspired. I don’t want pity, and I don’t want to bring others down. I’ve been given a gift, and I’ve worked like hell to be able to pass that on to others. There is always hope.

Cherish each passing moment as if it’s your last – because you know that it very well could be. It might sound crazy, but, when I’m at my lowest, that’s the time when I can lift others up. And, it lifts my spirit as well! My heart is with you all.

 

Thank you, Erin Lieben.

 

Disclaimer:
Any views and opinions of the Guest Blogger are purely his/her own.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of Erin Lieben.)

As I say after each post: Please leave a comment by clicking the blue words “Leave a Commentanim0014-1_e0-1 below this post.

Feel free to follow my blog. Click on “Follow” on the upper right sidebar.

If you like my blog, share it (intact) with your friends. It’s easy! Click the “Share” buttons below.

If you don’t like my blog, “Share” it (intact) with your enemies. I don’t care!

Feel free to “Like” my post.

SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faces of Brain Injury Erin Lea Beville & Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano

SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury

Erin Lea Beville & Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano

presented by

Donna O’Donnell Figurski

 Brain Injury is NOT Discriminating!

bigstock-cartoon-face-vector-people-25671746-e1348136261718

It can happen to anyone, anytime, . . . and anywhere.

The Brain Trauma Foundation states that there are 5.3 million people in the United States living with some form of brain injury.

On “Faces of Brain Injury,” you will meet survivors living with brain injury. I hope that their stories will help you to understand the serious implications and complications of brain injury.

The stories on SPEAK OUT! Faces of Brain Injury are published with the permission of the survivor or designated caregiver.

If you would like your story to be published, please send a short account and two photos to me at neelyf@aol.com. I’d love to publish your story and raise awareness for Brain Injury.

A special shout out to two special nurses.nurse_0515-0911-1420-0746_SMU

Breville, Erin LeaErin Lea Beville (survivor)

I’m a sixteen-year survivor. I got my bachelor’s degree in nursing from Florida State University in May (2014) and my RN license last October. Having a traumatic brain injury (TBI), I needed a bit of rest following the hell that is nursing school. I was fried!

I recently started a job as an Integrated Health Wellness Coach and Peer Support Specialist at Community Mental Health. It’s perfect because they want me to share my story and pay me for it. My brain injury is finally an asset rather than a liability. So, hooray for patience, Breville, Erin Lea & nieceperseverance, and determination! I’ve done it – not in spite of my TBI, but because of it. Together, we can be the difference, for each other and for others. Go out there and inspire people. Be the person only you can be – yourself. Then own it. You rock!

Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano 2 Survivor 082315Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano (survivor)

I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) almost twenty years ago. I had to learn how to walk and talk and to relearn the basic things we take for granted in life. Yet, I feel I am blessed. I overcame all the obstacles and unforeseen Evelyn Pumarejo-Justiniano Survivor2 082431jpgcircumstances put in my life. I returned to school after my injury and had a GPA of 3.79 in nursing school. Today I am a nurse – going on a year now. I am planning to go for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. And, I thank God for my good husband, who has been by my side the past 29 years.

Disclaimer: Any views and opinions of the Contributor are purely his/her own.

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

(Photos compliments of contributor.)

As I say after each post: Please leave a comment by clicking the blue words “Leave a Commentanim0014-1_e0-1 below this post.

Feel free to follow my blog. Click on “Follow” on the upper right sidebar.

If you like my blog, share it with your friends. It’s easy! Click the “Share” buttons below.

If you don’t like my blog, “Share” it with your enemies. I don’t care!

Feel free to “Like” my post

SPEAK OUT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #1 Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

Itty-Bitty GIant Steps for Blog

SPEAK OUT! #1 Itty-Bitty GIANT Steps

SPEAK OUT! Itty-Bitty Giant Steps will provide a venue for brain-injury survivors and caregivers to shout out their accomplishments of the week.

If you have an Itty-Bitty Giant Step and you would like to share it, just send me an email at donnaodonnellfigurski@gmail.com. It need only be a sentence. I’ll gather the accomplishments and post them with your name on my blog approximately once a week. (If you do not want your last name to be posted, please tell me in your email.)

I hope we have millions of Itty-Bitty Giant Steps.

 

Here are this week’s Itty-Bitty Giant Steps.

My Itty-Bitty Giant Step is that I started my blog finally and I’m going back to school to become a speech pathologist. Go me! It feels good to accomplish things I never would’ve done before.

Cheri Richardson Hicks

On May 3, I graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing – with a 3.64 GPA and 16 years post TBI. It took many “Itty-Bitty Giant Steps” and a lot of patience to get to this point. Now I will have plenty of “patients” to go with it. LOL. Thank you for gathering this, Donna!

Erin Lea Beville

My dream is to walk a 5K race (3.1 miles) in an hour. I reached 1.6 miles in 35 minutes on a treadmill (while holding on to the handrails, of course!).

David Figurski

I was able to stand on my right foot (my “impaired” side) while holding my left foot off the ground and not hold onto anything for 33 seconds.  My therapist’s time goal for me was 30 seconds.

Jodi Jizmejian

Congratulations to all contributors!

(Clip Art compliments of Bing.)

Tag Cloud

Welcome to Harmony Kent Online

The home of all things books

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Blog magazine for lovers of health, food, books, music, humour and life in general

Pete Springer

Passionate Teacher and Future Children's Author

HOPE TBI

Help One Person Excel - To Be Independent

  WriteForKids - Writing Children's Books

Become a published children's book author via books, ebooks and apps.

For the Love of Books, Old and New

Katie Fischer, Writer and Reader of Stories

Charlie Bown

Children's Author

Jessica Hinrichs

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” ― Anais Nin

VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children

Picture Books Help Kids Soar

Mindy’s Writing Wonderland

For authors, parents, teachers & everyone who loves children’s books.

Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez

Literary Agent

Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury

TBI - Survivors, Caregivers, Family, and Friends

Claire Stibbe

Thriller Author and Blogger

The Care Factor

Loving someone with a Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain Injury Support Group of Duluth-Extension

Brain Injury Information and SUPPORT

Brain Aneurysm Global Insight

Brain Aneurysm, cerebral hemorrhaging, hemorrhage stroke

%d bloggers like this: