Commissioners declare July 'Brain Injury Awareness Month'
From Staff Reports
closeup@newnan.com
July has been declared “Brain Injury Awareness Month” in Coweta County, thanks to a proclamation issued by the Coweta Board of Commissioners at its June 19 meeting.
Lindsey Bush, who suffered a traumatic brain injury nearly 11 years ago, spoke before the board at an earlier meeting, joining her father Chris in requesting traffic lights at dangerous intersections. She was injured in a car crash at the intersection of Hal Jones Road and U.S. 29.
“There is no law that explicitly protects the rights of citizens with traumatic brain injuries,” she said.
In response, commissioners issued their proclamation to help raise awareness. Their “Brain Injury Awareness Month” proclamation includes TBI facts such as:
• 1.7 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, according to the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and TBI is a contributing factor in one-third of all injury-related deaths in the U.S.
• More than three million Americans live with disabilities resulting from TBI, according to the CDC.
• The leading causes of brain injury are falls, vehicle accidents, being struck by or against objects, infections and assaults. In troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, the leading cause is improvised explosive devices.
Bush was on hand to accept the proclamation from board members, who read the proclamation aloud at the meeting.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has denied a permit for a traffic signal at the intersection of Hal Jones Road and U.S. 29, reporting that the signal is not warranted. However, current intersection improvement is designed to accommodate a signal should the DOT eventually approve one.
