Brain Injury

Table of contents

What is this page about?

You’ve learnt that one of the most important people in your life has a brain injury. Do you feel shocked, angry, numb or afraid?

Do you feel like life is unfair?

One thing is certain – you probably don’t feel good.

Learning about brain injury will help you understand what your special person is going through. Often, young people have never heard or seen anything to do with brain injury and most feel better when they know what to expect.

The brain

The brain is like the body’s control center, helping you think, feel, move, and remember things. It’s made of billions of tiny nerve cells (called neurons) that work together to help you learn, solve problems, and react to the world around you.

What do all the different parts of the brain do?

Click below to explore the different parts of the brain.

frontalLobe

Frontal lobe

Helps with:

  • Problem solving
  • Planning & organising
  • Making judgements
  • Emotions, behaviour and mood
  • Personality
  • Social skills
temporalLobe

Temporal lobe

Helps with:

  • Understanding language
  • Memory
  • Emotions
  • Enjoyment of music
  • Recognise & identify things we see (faces or objects)
  • Understanding language
parietalLobe

Parietal lobe

Helps with:

  • Knowing left from right
  • Sensations (touch, pressure, temperature, pain)
  • Hearing
  • Reading
  • Smelling
  • Tasting
  • Touching
occipitalLobe

Occipital lobe

Helps with:

  • Understanding what we see
  • Reading and writing
  • Understanding shapes, colour & distance
brainStem

Brain stem

Helps with:

  • Brain stem
  • Breathing
  • Swallowing
  • Appetite
  • Beating of our heart
  • Body temperature
  • Staying awake or asleep
cerebellum

Cerebellum

Helps with:

  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Movement
  • Regulating feelings and responses
  • Organising thought

 

What is a brain injury?

A brain injury is when the brain gets hurt anytime after birth. There are two main types of brain injuries, depending on how they happen:

An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) happens when the brain gets hurt by something inside the body, like from a brain infection, lack of oxygen or pressure from a brain tumour.

 

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) happens when something hits the head really hard—like falling off a bike, getting hit in a car crash, or being in a sporting accident.

**add in second animation**

Quiz

Let’s check your understanding of an acquired (ABI) and traumatic (TBI) brain injury

Click ‘next’ to do a 5 question quiz

 

Results

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QUIZ START

#1. Does a punch to the head cause an acquired or traumatic brain injury?

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#2. Does a car accident cause an acquired or traumatic brain injury?

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#3. Does a brain infection cause an acquired or traumatic brain injury?

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#4. Does falling off a ladder cause an acquired or traumatic brain injury?

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#5. Does falling off a bike cause an acquired or traumatic brain injury?

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Finish

…or…do you prefer this activity???

Try and guess the types of brain injuries below

The bulge in a blood vessel (called a brain aneurysm ) can cause an acquired brain injury (ABI)

Falling off a bike can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

When two heads hit together (called a Concussion ) can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Falling off a ladder can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Anything strong and hard that hits a head, like a hammer or baseball bat, can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

A brain infection (virus) can cause an acquired brain injury (ABI)

Getting punched can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Falling down stairs can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

A stroke can cause an acquired brain injury (ABI)

A car accident can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

How do the brain lobes work together?

Each lobe in the brain has its own job, but they work as a team to help us do everyday things like moving, talking, remembering, and feeling emotions.

  • Frontal + Parietal lobe s: These help us move and stay balanced. The Frontal lobe plans what we do, and the Parietal lobe helps us feel and know where our body is.
  • Parietal + Temporal Lobes: These help us understand language. The Parietal lobe works out word meanings, and the temporal lobe helps us hear and remember them.
  • Temporal + Occipital lobe s: These help us recognise what we see. The Occipital lobe takes in the images, and the temporal lobe helps us know what or who it is.
  • Frontal + Temporal Lobes: These help with feelings, memories, and making choices. The Frontal lobe helps us decide, and the temporal lobe remembers our experiences.

Can I see all the changes to my special person?

No. After a brain injury, people can experience both visible and invisible changes.

Visible changes might include physical symptoms like difficulty walking, moving parts of their body, or how they complete tasks like having a shower. Some people use different equipment to help them, such as lifting machines to get them out of bed, or a wheelchair to mobilise indoors and outdoors.

Invisible changes can be just as significant but harder to notice. These include issues with memory, concentration, and emotions. For example, your special person might feel more anxious or have mood swings. They might find it hard to remember conversations or find it hard to concentrate on tasks like housework. They may have difficulty recognising people and what things are used for. For example, they might look at a mobile phone and think it’s used to brush their hair. They might say or do things that they wouldn’t have said in the past. For young people, experiencing these changes can be embarrassing and frustrating. This is normal!

What questions can I ask?

After a brain injury happens, young people can have many questions. It’s hard to know what to ask so we’ll help you.

When you ask questions, always remember to:

  • Ask what words mean
  • Ask for information to be explained in another way if you don’t understand, or if the information is confusing
  • Ask to hear information again
  • Ask to see, or be drawn a picture of what is being talked about
  • Some questions can be answered, but remember, some questions may not have answers (we’ve made a list of those questions below)

You can print this sheet and take it in to hospital, or ask an adult to help fill it in with you.

My-questions-worksheetDownload

Questions that may be hard for an adult to answer:

  • When might my special person wake up?
  • When will they come home?
  • What changes or lost abilities will my special person have?
  • Will my special person die?

Videos

Meet Bella

Bella was 12 when her dad had a brain injury. In the video below, she shares why it’s important for adults to explain what’s happening, especially when kids can tell something ‘big’ is going on. Bella talks about being there when it happened, what it was like, and seeing her dad in hospital for the first time.

You might like to show this video to your parents or staff supporting your family—especially if you want to be more involved.

In the video below, Bella talks about what it was like for her to have a ‘different Dad’ after his brain injury. She shares how he changed, how their relationship changed, and how it affected her family. Hearing Bella’s story might help you understand your own experiences a little more.

Common questions

What have other young people wanted to know?

Many young people have asked these questions…so they may help you too!

Straight after a brain injury, your special person will get help in a hospital. They will have tests and help from doctors and nurses.

Once more information is known about the brain injury, a plan will be made about your special persons time in hospital.

If the brain injury is big, they may have to spend time in another hospital called ‘rehabilitation’. Rehabilitation helps people to re-learn things that the brain injury may have changed, like walking or talking.

You may find your special person needs to stay in hospital for days, weeks or even months.

There is no straight answer to this question.

What is needed is time.

Some people have small changes to their lives, others have big changes and lost abilities (also called disabilities) that they live with every day.

You will likely see most of their healing in the first 1-2 years, but recovery is possible for years and years after the injury (just at a slower rate).

Series of 3 faces with progressively sad faces. The first is minor brain injury with symptoms of feeling sick, having a headache, feeling dizzy, some bleeding and bruising. The second is moderate brain injury with symptoms of confusion, vomiting, lasting headache, memory loss and loss of balance. The third is severe brain injury with symptoms of unconsciousness, memory loss, significant bleeding, trouble speaking and poor coordination.

Different tests done in the hospital will help to know how big the brain injury may be.

The more serious the injury, the longer your special person will likely stay in hospital.

Knowing what your special person may be feeling can help you understand what they may be going through. You may be surprised to learn that they are feeling a lot of the same things you are.

  • Sad = they may not be able to do things they used to do. They may miss the life they had, miss doing activities, or miss the things they could do before.
  • Afraid = they may be afraid of how the brain injury has changed their life and the lives of you, and family members. They may be afraid of what their future looks like and the help they may need.
  • Anxious = they may be worried about a lot of things, like getting back to work, paying bills, how they look or living with a disability. They may be worried about how you are feeling and what you are going through.
  • Angry = many people feel like they have become a different person. Anger sometimes comes from feelings that are hard to show, such as fear or embarrassment. Chances are, your special person is angry at what’s happened, not at you or other people
  • Lonely = they may feel distant from others such as friend who may have a hard time dealing or understanding their brain injury and may not visit. They may not be able to take part in activities they used to enjoy and they may feel like no one understands what they are going through.
  • Hopeful = many people with a brain injury feel hopeful and have happy lives. They may change some of their hopes and dreams for the future, and work towards a ‘new normal’.

People with a brain injury have said:

“Even thinking is hard”

“I need to sleep a lot as I get tired all the time”

“I feel like a different person”

Stroke

A stroke is when there is not enough blood in the brain. It could be because:

The heart may not be able to pump blood to the brain very well so the blood forms sticky clumps that causes a blockage. Doctor’s call these clumps ‘clots’

 
Sticky clumps or fat may build up inside the tubes and stop the blood from flowing
One of the tubes going to the brain tears a little bit and some blood leaks out

 

Other ways a stroke can happen are:

  • Some of the tubes going to the brain are a bit tangled up so blood gets stuck
  • Some of the tubes going to the brain are a bit small and thin so blood gets stuck

 

Car accident

In a car accident, people’s head usually gets hit or moves very fast and suddenly stops. When this happens, the brain inside the skull can get hurt. Even though the brain is protected by the skull, it’s soft and can bump against the inside of the skull during a crash. This can cause bruising, swelling, or tiny tears in the brain.

 

Brain tumour

A brain tumour is a lump of cells that grows in the brain and shouldn’t be there. It happens when some cells start to grow too much or in the wrong way. Some brain tumors grow very slowly and might not cause many problems, while others can grow faster and press on parts of the brain, making it harder to think, move, or feel normal. Doctors use special tests and treatments to help people with brain tumors feel better and keep the brain working well.

The main changes other young people noticed are:

Changes to your special person may include:

  • The way their body works (they may need to use equipment, or have trouble moving different parts like their arms or legs)
  • Roles within the family (they may not be able to work and earn money)
  • Relationships (they may not be able to go out with friends)
  • How they see themselves (they may not like having new scars,)
  • Ability to do tasks (they may need to use a recipe when cooking, instead of remembering all the steps from memory)

Changes to your family may include:

  • Adults being away from home more (you may get looked after by a neighbour or other family member)
  • Less money which may mean less take away food, less holidays or less activities (like going to the movies)

Changes to you may include:

  • Different people looking after you (this may happen in your home, or you might need to move into another person’s home)
  • Less attention from your parents (because they are at hospital more often)
  • Doing different chores at home (you may help with housework like laundry or cleaning)
  • Routines may change (like where you do your homework or what time you go to bed)

If you’d like more information on any of the above, check out the changes section.

If you saw your special person get hurt or were nearby when it happened, you will likely feel lots of strong emotions like sadness, feeling frightened and maybe even guilty that you could not stop it from happening. When you have strong emotions like this, you don’t have to be brave or tough. What’s important is to talk about what happened and how you feel when you are ready! Young people have found comfort in spending time with others, so don’t take yourself away from friends and family. You can use the ‘share your story‘ exercise or the ‘feelings‘ page to help you talk things through.

Other things that might help are:

  • It’s ok to be vulnerable so don’t act like you are fine if you’re not. If an adult or trusted person in your life offers you a hug, this can help you feel secure so say ‘yes’
  • Doing small tasks around the house and having some responsibilities can help you feel helpful and give you some purpose
  • If you are not comfortable sitting down and talking, try to start a conversation with a trusted adult when you’re doing an activity (like driving to school) so it doesn’t feel too intense
  • If you are not comfortable talking with your family, think of other people you trust like a peer/friend, teacher or coach
  • Take a walk, do some relaxation exercises or mindfulness

Usually, emotions aren’t all you’ll experience. You may have other changes in your life happen like trouble sleeping, finding it hard to concentrate, and maybe a loss of interest in the activities you normally enjoyed. Young people have also said they had other things happen in their body like a sore tummy, or headaches. All of these reactions are normal and will lessen in time. If they last for more than 4 weeks, your family may have to reach out to a health care professional for help.

If an adult is reading this with you, they can find lots of information on how to help you on their own ‘supporting children‘s page.

Some young people feel scared, lonely and sad, others feel closer to their family. There are many stories from young people who have been where you are on Brain Connect. Find them here (Impact on you) or here (Share your story).

It is important for you to get information to understand what has happened so ask questions to your family or staff.

Remember, your family are learning too so they may not know all the answers.

You can bring in photographs, cards or drawings to put up in hospital.

Ask if you can visit in person, or call, FaceTime or write letters.

If you would like to be involved in doing things for your special person (for example, helping them to eat), let an adult know to see if this can be organised.

Every day, try to do something that you like to do.

School is very important as you spend a lot of time there. Young people often feel a sense of belonging by going there, as it feels normal and gives you some routine and structure.

Talking to your school is your family’s decision. By letting your school know what has happened, it can increase the number of people helping and looking out for you. For example, if you need a break during class, or feel sad, your teacher will likely understand and can find ways to help you.

Where to now?

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