A cross-Canada video conference for brain injury survivors has been organized by Langley resident Michael Coss, who spent six and a half months in a coma following a 2006 car crash.
“It’s all about re-connecting human beings during a time of COVID,” Coss told the Langley Advance Times.
Coss describes himself as “a grateful brain injury survivor” who had to “relearn everything again, how to speak, eat, walk, and to become as independent as I can be.”
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For the month of June, Brain Injury Awareness Month in Canada, Coss is organizing a Zoom call for brain injury survivors across Canada, “to develop new friendships, share key wins and to reinforce the power of human connection.”
“It is my turn to give back to others,” Coss said.
“I would love to be able to provide a space for our community to connect digitally.”
Those interested can RSVP by going to eventbright.ca and searching for “Anything Is Possible: A Conversation about Traumatic Brain Injury” hosted by Coss, Pete Bombaci, and Maya Hibbeln.
So far, 10 people have registered for the event, set for Saturday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. B.C. time.
Coss, a resident of a Connect Communities group home for brain injury survivors, has gone on to become a motivational speaker and author.
He has established the Michael Coss Brain Injury Fund with the Coquitlam Foundation, a registered charity and a member of the Community Foundations of Canada which aims to build endowment funds to support important community initiatives.
Donations directed to the Michael Coss Brain Fund at the Coquitlam Foundation are eligible for tax charitable receipts, and their board can authorize grants from the Michael Coss Brain Injury Fund to pay for treatments for children with brain injury.
Earlier this year, Coss organized a fundraiser for a Surrey family struggling with the death of a single mom, and the pandemic.
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Coss and a small group of fellow survivors, with some help from relatives, set up a GoFundMe page, and in 10 days, raised $1,555.00.
Each year in Canada, more than 20,000 people are hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries, which can range from mild to severe and include concussions.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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