Name: Daniel G.

City: Phoenix, AZ

Brain Injury: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)/SPINAL CORD INJURY. I was an arborist and a large branch fell 40 feet onto my head from a climber’s error.

Explanation of mask:  The story begins from the viewers perspective at the top left corner. The color is purple and has multiple meanings. First of all, it gives you a rough idea of the line at which my skull was fractured. It’s also the color of bruising as my head went through incredible trauma.

You can see mountains, as this was the beginning of a very dark time in my life. Next you see a bright orange with a spread of outlines of trees. This is a wildfire; a wildfire named spinal cord injury and TBI. These two injuries together wiped away nearly all my physical abilities, mental abilities were also damaged and altered. Each of those trees represents something that was taken away from me. Next, you see a thick green area. This was meant to represent a forest. A thick forest that can make it difficult to see through and what I have traveled through after my injury. Finally, you can see a desert landscape where a cactus musters up what it must and somewhat gets water it needs to survive. In the background you can see mountains, these represent what I have yet to traverse and conquer. There is a lot left for me to do, but I have been supported and taught from many people on how to continue forward.