Name: Jessica L.

Age: 47

City: Gilbert, AZ

Brain Injury: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)

Explanation of Brain Injury: I was driving myself and children to go to a special Halloween event at a farm we all like. I lost control of my car. Without any way to fix it, we went up on a curb, then across lanes, and over the median into the oncoming traffic. Myself, and my other son. and two daughters survived. My oldest child, Grayson, who was sitting next to me, died that day. I was in hospitals and rehabs for months. I did not comprehend what had happened to myself or my son for 6 months.

Explanation of mask:  The mask is colored LIGHT PINK, which is my favorite color, and represents the inner self. The BLACK PART is where I hit my head in the crash. The entire right side represents my injury and the bad effects it had. The WHITE LIPS represent a FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN, which occurred with months of MEMORY LOSS, LOSS OF ROUTINE, AND THE LOSS OF MY FAMILY BEING WHOLE. ONE EYE IS BLANK to show how BLINDED I FEEL. The FLOWERS on the left side represents happiness and my life before the injury. The GEMS on the left side represent myself and my four kids. My son, GRAYSON, is represented by the color PURPLE, which was his favorite color.