A Berwyn resident’s nonprofit, the Mind Your Brain Foundation, is having a powerful impact on brain injury survivors, writes staff for Brain & Life.
Founder Candace Gantt lives part time in Berwyn and started the foundation after experiencing a brain injury herself.
The 65-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2005 after a vehicle collision while biking. In her recovery, Gantt struggled to walk, speak, and breathe on her own.
Gantt’s recovery consisted of small steps: she gradually became able to read, then walk on her own, then run. After two years, Gantt was able to drive again, and she ran the Boston Marathon five years after the accident.
Gantt joined the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania in 2016 to connect with other survivors and find more resources. Eventually, she became co-director of the Pennsylvania Brain Injury Coalition, and founded Mind Your Brain in 2018.
Mind Your Brain started as a collaboration with University of Pennsylvania neurosurgeon M. Sean Grady, MD to host free conferences for TBI survivors.
At the conferences, survivors can learn about new treatments, receive legal advice, and speak with injury navigators. Additionally, Mind Your Brain provides financial assistance toward survivors’ medical bills, and provides grants for Penn neuroscience students.
Most importantly, Mind Your Brain helps TBI survivors find hope and community connections while accessing the care they need.
Read more about the Mind Your Brain Foundation and the nonprofit’s assistance for brain injury survivors in Brain & Life.
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