By Paige Taylor - Alan Lytle
Lexington, KY – A national project seeking to prevent, identify, and treat concussions in youth is holding a town hall meeting at the University of Kentucky this weekend. The goal is to create a model system of care for children and young adults suffering from all pediatric brain injuries.
Family Outreach Director, Sarah Slone, says the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation grew out of a tragic accident involving founder Patrick Donahue.
"His daughter Sarah Jane was shaken by her hired nurse five days after birth and received a brain injury and along with the brain injury, when he started the process of healing and started rehabilitation with her, there was no plan developed specifically for pediatric brain injuries. And we see that nationwide, which is why it is now a nationwide initiative."
Physical Therapy Assistant Professor Scott Livingston, says this is a good way for parents to get answers and share stories.
"The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation is doing a nationwide tour to promote awareness of this pediatric acquired brain injury plan and their specific focus of coming here to Lexington and speaking at UK is to provide information about the plan to healthcare providers, to parents, and the community in general who has an interest in pediatric brain injury. The majority of traumatic brain injuries of the pediatric population are from trauma or motor vehicle accidents. Sports involvement, recreational activities count for almost 25% or more of those injuries, so it's not just the sports involvement at an early age, but trauma, falls, motor vehicle accidents and a variety of causes."
The Town Hall Meeting is Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at UK's W.T. Young Library. It's free and open to the public.