A parent’s worst nightmare happened on May 25, 2022 for Ashley and Tony Hansen when their son Carson and daughter Lilly were in a horrific car accident on their way to a summer Bible study. Lilly fractured her right femur while Carson suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. 

Carson and Ashley

In the weeks and months following Carson’s injury, the Hansens received an incredible number of gestures of generosity from family, friends, their local community, and even strangers! These acts of kindness and generosity gave the Hansens hope in the moments they needed it most. 

Yet the Hansen’s journey wasn’t without its struggles. Ashley and Tony were thrust into a new world of learning how to be caregivers, training after training on technical aspects of caring for Carson, and experiencing the frustrations of limited healthcare options along with insurance difficulties. 

Ashley is saddened by Nebraska’s limited options for progressive brain injury rehabilitation, especially for youth like Carson. All of them have waiting lists, and most of them are located in Eastern Nebraska–hours away from the Hansen’s home in Bertrand, Nebraska–meaning that Carson cannot recover at home with his family. 

To add to the hardship, there is no program that allows parents to receive funding to be the primary caregiver for their child before they are considered a legal adult. Home healthcare options are not guaranteed as it can be difficult to find the right nurse, or that the hours of care needed will be covered by insurance or government waivers. 

In regard to insurance, coverage for post-injury treatment and rehabilitation tends to place restrictions on the amount rehabilitation services received, the type of equipment, medication adjustments and other areas, making it challenging to access the resources and services needed for a person’s quality of life after their injury. 

Ashley wants to help change that. She shares her family’s and Carson’s journey on CaringBridge and TikTok. She appeals and fights for resources for Carson. She also participated in our Blazing Trails for Brain Injury 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk to help raise funds for brain injury awareness and resources in Nebraska. 

Ashley wants to help build a better future for brain injury in Nebraska. Will you join her? It won’t happen overnight, but every step is one more forward. 

Your Generous Gesture will help provide education, resources, and support for individuals and families like the Hansens as they navigate and adjust to life after a brain injury–building local support networks to help increase Nebraska’s system capacity for brain injury services, one step at a time.

Please consider donating to the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska and making a Generous Gesture today!

Join Ashley in Building a Better Future for Brain Injury

The Impacts of Your Donation

A donation of any size helps us connect with individuals and families affected by a brain injury and support them as they navigate through changes and issues related to a brain injury. However, here are some ways that your donations can have a tangible impact.

• $50 provides one hour of intake and information services for an individual or family affected by brain injury. 
• $100 teaches parents, athletes, coaches, and educators how to recognize and manage a concussion properly. 
• $150 helps us connect and refer individuals to local, state, and federal programs and services. 
• $200 provides up to four hours of case management services for individuals and families affected by a brain injury.