The NBIF enjoys another Halloween party together.

What a bunch of characters we are.
The party was so much fun. Then again it's always fun when we all get together.
Take a look at the "NBIF Pics and Shows" tab on left side of the page. Click each link to enjoy the party all over again.

NBIF Peeps Rally for Independence

Some of our NBIF members attended a "Bill Passing Rally" @ RCIL. They were great with making phone calls and sending emails to Governor Paterson. Thank you for you help and participation.

Krista - in her own words..

Well lets see where do I start - ok I know I will start at this; I was living in Jacksonville, Alabama that's where I was raised now I live in Upstate New York. Well I was 7 years old I was in 2nd grade. We where on our way to school in the morning and we didn't live but 2 miles from the schools. So we were running a little bit late for school. My parents were at work already. The sun was really bright that day of my accident, which was October 8, 1991. My sister pulled up to the stop sign even though she could not see the stop sign she knew there was one there so she looked both ways. She looked and did not see anything coming so she pulled out and a white pick-up truck was coming. We were running late that we were in the process of putting are seat belts on. So the truck hit us and the car spun! Here comes the part where I get hurt: I hit the drivers seat, hit the stirring wheel, flew out the wind-shield, hit the stop sign, and ended up in the back of the car. Bad Huh!! Luckily, I lived right next to the hospital. From that hospital they flew me in helicopter to Birmingham, Alabama Children's Hospital. There I was diagnosed with a TBI. I was in a coma for 6 weeks and I was in the hospital for 3 months. Everyone in the hospital called me the "Miracle Baby"! I had to relearn everything over again from how to walk, talk, eat, and potty trained. Like being a baby all over again. But look at me now! I am 24-years old, a graduate of collage and live independently. It has been 17 years since my accident. I am so happy to be alive!!!

Thank you for taking time and listening to my story!

Love always,Krista "aka" Dee

Peter Kahrmann Visits NBIF

The participants of the NBIF enjoyed a summer evening with Peter Kahrmann, whose ability and desire to communicate with each individual present with honesty and caring as we gathered in the yard, brought him an open-hearted welcome from all. His efforts to learn a little bit about each person, allowed him to include personal comments to each individual as he spoke to the group, expressing positive support and admiration.

Peter's message of positivity in life as one meets the challenges and overcomes 'obstacles', is of turning them into discovering one's individual strengths. As he joked about the neighbor that chose this particular time to mow his lawn, he shared the awareness of how distracting and sometimes painful it can be to experience sensory overload after brain injury that has affected a person's hearing. And then he talked about the need to recognize and use strategies to minimize overload...to get enough rest, to control your own environment, to express to others what you are experiencing. His presentation was as informative as it was inspiring, and his skill as a 'teacher' was evident. Peter shared the power of having a sense of humor, a sense of self, and never ever giving up in seeking a quality of life that every individual deserves. The NBIF appreciated this extraordinay experience and hopes to welcome Peter back often.

More about Peter...

Known for emotionally connecting with audiences and individuals, often in an instant, Peter S. Kahrmann is a powerful, charismatic and deeply compassionate public speaker. Also known for taking audiences from laughter to tears and back again with uncanny prescience and a formidable supply of charisma, he is, more than anything, an advocate for human rights.
Mr. Kahrmann is the creator of Life Growth, a remarkable philosophy and life-management system rooted in lessons learned from a life packed with a staggering amount of trauma and tragedy. Anyone who knows him well knows he possesses an unflinching loyalty to the sanctity and dignity of a person’s individuality. Many say his ability to connect with people on a deeply personal level is due to his kindness, honesty, and courage.
In 1984 while on his way to work, Mr. Kahrmann was held-up and shot in the head at point blank range. The bullet remains lodged in his brain. He has devoted his life to advocating for quality of life support for individuals facing sometimes overwhelming challenges in their lives, and has received numerous awards for his work. He states that “All of us are born with the right to be who we are safely in the world around us.”
Mr. Kahrmann is a co-founder and former board member of the New York City Chapter of Victims for Victims, a non-profit group that works with crime victims and their loved ones. It was in 1985 that he began to develop the philosophy and structure of Life Growth. He has been a board member of the Brain Injury Association of New York and is the president of the Life Growth Center.

Stefanie's Story

An experience that will stay with me all my life is one that started when I was six years old. The experience started with symptoms ranging from headaches to blurred vision and vomiting. I believe that the cause was a bee sting that I had gotten during the summer. After several weeks of this, my parents got worried and we started a quest to find out what was wrong with me. After several opinions we found Dr. Herbert Laurie and he told us that I might have a cancerous brain tumor. I was admitted to Crouse B. Irving Memorial Hospital in Syracuse, NY on October 14th 1976. I was scared to death, I didn't know what was going on, my parents were sad and all I knew was that I didn't feel well and my head hurt. When I found out I was going to have an operation I was terrified. I didn't even know what one was. They gave me lots of shots, poked needles in me and gave me IV's. I felt like a human pin-cushion. The spinal taps were the worst, I would have to lie completely still on my side on a table while doctors stuck a long needle into my spine to draw out fluid. But the nurses were nice. They gave me an orange and a syringe to stick so I would know what it was like to be a doctor poking the patients.

I had lots of visitors. My mom's friend from work came to visit me and she brought me an orange colored dog. They brought gifts into the hospital where my mom worked and when I got home, after three craneomies and one surgery to put a shunt in me from my brain to my stomach to remove fluid, there was a huge box of presents for me form every one of my mom's friends and even her employers.

It was hard especially for my mom to know her little girl could die if something went wrong. Waiting during the operations was the worst for my parents, just sitting there not knowing whether their little girl was going to live or die. It was hard for my sister too, being only three years old. Not knowing where her big sister was or what was happening to her. The only thing she had any idea about was that she was the cause of her sister's pain.

After my last operation in November of 1977 I started radiation treatment, and a few months later, chemotherapy. I was on chemotherapy for 10 years. Now I have been in remission for 27 years. I'm so glad to be here. I could have lost my life or movement of my limbs but I am just as normal as I was, a normal human being and I am so glad.

By: Stefanie Tyler

The NBIF 2008 Bowl-A-Thon was a Hit!

Hello NBIF Members!
Wow - the 2nd annual NBIF Bowl-A-Thon was a ball. It was so much fun and the company was the best, as always. It was so nice to see new faces and new friendships being made.
I want to thank everyone who participated and sponsored our event.

Gary Celebrates a Meaningful Milestone

Valentine's Day 2000 was the first day of the rest of my life. Prior to this date my life was in turmoil. That day I became TBI due to a snowmobile accident. My condition was almost fatal. I was sent to the Northeast Center for Special Care for a year while in a coma and for rehabilitation. The next two years I lived at home with my mom and step-dad. During this time I was contacted by RCIL and became a consumer with their agency. My life has totally changed since my accident, from hopelessness and having to rely on everyone for my needs, not understanding why I can't do things like I used to and adjusting to a whole new way of life. Today I am proud to say I have progressed. I have been living independently the past two years in my own apartment in New Hartford, working at Hannaford Market and have a pet cat and two Beta fish. I have learned to adjust to my injury and maintain my independent living status. But I could not have done this alone. If it weren't for the great staff at RCIL, my therapist Linda Nelson, my doctors and providers, Northeast Center and my new social group, National Brain Injury Foundation I am sure I would not have the will or desire to progress. Thank you!!!

Happy Valentines Day 2007 - Gary Goodson