A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a very complex injury that affects millions of individuals and families each year. Brain injury is a life-altering event which affects every area of a person’s life, including work. During this year’s Brain Injury Awareness Month, explore the lasting effects of a brain injury with us as we dive into what exactly a TBI means for employees and employers alike. 

The Katie Beckett Bill HB0498/ SB0476 passed the House Insurance and Senate Commerce & Labor Committees today! 

Committee members had already heard about the legislation by the time the first hearing began. Over the weekend, they received over 10,000 emails from Tennesseans calling for their support of a Katie Beckett Program for Tennessee.

When Chyna was four years old, she was involved in a car crash with her grandmother. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors told Chyna’s mother, Zennia, that the injuries to her brain were very severe. 

Seven days following her traumatic brain injury (TBI), the swelling on Chyna’s brain still hadn’t gone down, so they induced her into a coma. The injury also put pressure on her eyesight, so she was essentially blind. Finally, the doctors put a stint in her brain to relieve the immense pressure. 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee began his State of the State Address this evening with an assessment that our state is “hopeful, prosperous and strong.” We at the Tennessee Disability Coalition share our newly-elected Executive’s hope for the year ahead and belief that with collective effort we can take on our state’s tallest mountains, it’s greatest challenges.