Did you know? - There is an overwhelmingly large group of brain injury survivors in need of aid in Metro Vancouver.
You alone can make a difference. A simple action from you today can help positively change someone's life forever.
VBIA advocacy is for your particular needs.
VBIA can be your stand-in when dealing with professionals, such as doctors and lawyers.
VBIA provides patient advocacy.
Your VBIA advocate can accompany you to a medical appointment.
Interested in using our services? Please click HERE:
Fill Client FormYou are welcome at online VBIA brain injury support groups. Please help us decide the best time of day for online support group meetings.
Meet people who "get it" about brain injury. Please pick the times that are convenient for you from 1 to 7 PM :
BEST TIMEYou are invited to join us at Brain Gain Fridays. Meet people who understand what you are going through. Recover together. Learn together. Get back your confidence.
For your safety, please REGISTER HERE
Trauma Informed Practices are integral to providing a safe and supportive atmosphere to those that have been through a traumatic experience. Attendance by donation!
You are welcome at VBIA’s brain injury support groups in cities including Vancouver and the North Shore. During COVID time our support group meetings need to be online. In-person support group meetings will resume when it's safe.
Please help us decide the best time of day for support group meetings. Please indicate all the times that are convenient for you from 1 to 7 PM HERE.
Brain injury survivors and caregivers support brain injury survivors and caregivers. Meet people who "get it" about brain injury. For your safety, please REGISTER HERE.
Fill Client FormIla Branscombe aspired to become an interior designer. She was getting ready to be married and begin a fulfilling career. Then in 1994, she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. The doctors told her that no cure was available, and she had weeks to live. Radiation was deemed her only chance at survival. As a result, Ila underwent extreme radiation which left her with permanent brain damage, and she lost all day-to-day capabilities.
Ila was lonely until she found a VBIA rehab group for people just like her. Ila loved the activities, especially the arts and crafts and singing. And she loved the people. Sadly, Ila passed away. She spent many happy Friday afternoons at Brain Gain Fridays. We are so happy to have brightened Ila’s final years.
When Peggy Cameron enters a room, she brings a bright energy and wears a joyful smile. For the better part of two years, Peggy volunteered with the Vancouver Brain Injury Association (VBIA) and helped develop the Brain Gain Friday program. Her cheerful disposition makes it surprising to realize that Peggy endured eight strokes and incurred brain damage.
“Brain Gain Fridays were vital to helping me recover, just as much as they help survivors today” Peggy fondly recalls.
Gerry Dela Guerra worked hard by day at his job in construction. At night, he enjoyed drumming for local bands. But then everything turned upside-down. During his shift, Gerry fell from scaffolding and plummeted to the ground.
Gerry awoke at Lions Gate Hospital. He had a fractured skull, bleeding in his brain, spinal cord damage, severe motor skill damage, shattered teeth on his left side as well as permanent vision loss in his left eye. Life was never the same.
Fortunately, Gerry had a VBIA advocate stand-in for his conversations with insurance adjusters and WCB workers advisers. Gerry never had to talk to an insurance adjuster or a case manager. “VBIA helped me understand the world when nothing made sense” says Gerry.
Ila Branscombe aspired to become an interior designer. She was getting ready to be married and begin a fulfilling career. Then in 1994, she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. The doctors told her that no cure was available, and she had weeks to live. Radiation was deemed her only chance at survival. As a result, Ila underwent extreme radiation which left her with permanent brain damage, and she lost all day-to-day capabilities.
Ila was lonely until she found a VBIA rehab group for people just like her. Ila loved the activities, especially the arts and crafts and singing. And she loved the people. Sadly, Ila passed away. She spent many happy Friday afternoons at Brain Gain Fridays. We are so happy to have brightened Ila’s final years.
When Peggy Cameron enters a room, she brings a bright energy and wears a joyful smile. For the better part of two years, Peggy volunteered with the Vancouver Brain Injury Association (VBIA) and helped develop the Brain Gain Friday program. Her cheerful disposition makes it surprising to realize that Peggy endured eight strokes and incurred brain damage.
“Brain Gain Fridays were vital to helping me recover, just as much as they help survivors today” Peggy fondly recalls.
In July of 2009, Gerry Dela Guerra was living life the way he had always wanted. He worked hard by day at his job in construction and had busy and satisfying evenings and weekends, drumming in multiple bands as well working on building his hotrod. A month later, in an instant, everything turned upside-down. During his shift, while climbing a ladder perched atop scaffolding, the scaffolding supporting the ladder moved, causing Gerry to lose his balance and plummet to the ground. When Gerry awoke, he was at Lions Gate Hospital, where he was told the extent of his injuries: a fractured skull, bleeding in his brain, spinal cord damage, severe motor skill damage, shattered teeth on his left side as well as permanent vision loss in his left eye. Life was never the same.
Fortunately, Gerry had a VBIA advocate stand-in for his conversations with insurance adjusters and WCB workers advisers. Gerry never had to talk to an insurance adjuster or a case manager. “VBIA helped me understand the world when nothing made sense” says Gerry.
VBIA advocacy is offered for each individual's particular needs. This is custom case management, not clerical assistance in filling out forms. Or VBIA can be a stand-in for dealing with professionals, such as doctors and lawyers. Finally, the brain injury survivor can understand what professionals are trying to communicate.
VBIA provides patient advocacy. A VBIA advocate might accompany a client to a medical appointment, or meet with medical multidisciplinary teams to find solutions for patient or caregiver concerns.
Interested in using our services? Please click HERE:
FILL CLIENT FORMVBIA advocacy is offered for each individual's particular needs. This is custom case management, not clerical assistance in filling out forms. Or VBIA can be a stand-in for dealing with professionals, such as doctors and lawyers. Finally, the brain injury survivor can understand what professionals are trying to communicate.
VBIA provides patient advocacy. A VBIA advocate might accompany a client to a medical appointment, or meet with medical multidisciplinary teams to find solutions for patient or caregiver concerns.
Interested in using our services? Please click HERE
FILL CLIENT FORM
You know Richard Wagar as the founder of the VBIA. You may even know him as a former business consultant and executive coach.
But you should know about three amazing women in Richard’s life. All three were affected by brain injury.
To provide direct support to people with brain injuries.
To conduct scientific research of direct benefit to people with brain injuries.
To serve as an advocate for individual needs and concerns that are unique and specific to each brain injury survivor to the best of our abilities and resources.
To provide a venue through which members of the public may contribute to the support of individual brain injury survivors.
To assist and support brain injury survivors in reaching appropriate agencies and support groups.
To use and promulgate trauma-informed practices throughout our organization.
Vancouver Brain Injury Association’s mission is to fill a devastating void for Vancouver and North Shore brain injury survivors by creating new programs and to connect brain injury survivors, their families, and caregivers to available resources.
To promote health by providing direct service to persons with acquired brain injury and their caregivers, including access to related counselling, information, or support group programs.
To advance education by creating and/or distributing educational materials and organizing and participating in seminars, counselling, and speaking engagements to the public on topics related to brain injury.
To undertake activities ancillary and incidental to the attainment of the above.
Please note: This contact form is not for help requests but for general inquiries/requests only. For help, please email help@vbia.ca.
