Name: John W., 41 years old

City: Phoenix, AZ

Brain Injury: HYDROCEPHALUS. At 16, I was diagnosed with HYDROCEPHALUS. The CFS around my brain was not draining properly, causing increased pressure. I had a 3rd ventriculostomy to create a hole for fluid to drain. This hole closed again 15 years later and I had to have the same procedure. Over the years it has caused memory issues, learning problems, visual and social impairments.

Explanation of mask:  My mask represents how sensitive I can be and how I respond to the busy world around me. I have grown to love and now study the natural world, especially wildlife. I feel I can relate to them better than humans sometimes! I have excellent vision, but am sensitive to light like an Owl. My sense of smell can sometimes be overbearing like a bear. I have good hearing, so much, that loud noises can bother me-like a coyote! I also enjoy bland food as my sense of taste seems to be “overactive” at times. The Rattlesnake slithering across my mask represents this, with its special olfactory organs that “taste” the air. I am not sure where I would be in this world if I didn’t have nature to go to!!