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. 

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. 

We, here at the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska, were blessed to be part of the Hansen’s story and help support their journey. 

Ashley was searching for traumatic brain injury support on Facebook and came across our page, then called us in September–a few months after the accident. Ashley connected with Brenda, our resource facilitator for Central Nebraska, who became a trusted friend and resource for Ashley as she navigated the healthcare and insurance side of brain injury. Brenda encouraged Ashley to keep appealing decisions and trust her instincts as Carson’s mom, and helped find financial assistance grants and other resources as Carson’s journey continued. 

Ashley said the following about Brenda’s help: 

“All of these things were just super helpful, as although I was able to navigate information myself…it was simply nice to have someone else be on my team and fight alongside me for Carson. It made everything feel so much more doable and not so lonely in the burden of it all!”

Ashley summarized her experience by saying: 

“A parent’s worst nightmare turned into a guided storm by the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska during the worst season of our lives when our 15-year-old suffered a Severe TBI in May 2022. 

This organization instantly made me feel understood and was the first to not only offer me support but resources that our state must provide to families and children like mine. 

They provided me with a bridge to other agencies and research information to guide my son’s medical quandaries and answered countless questions both on an educated platform and based on their very own experiences with Brain Injuries. 

I have been connected with the best Nebraska has to offer due to this agency having the broad outreach to help families like mine.”

We are grateful that we had the opportunity to be a resource for Ashley and her family! You can help us continue to be a resource that individuals and families can turn to when they need help with brain injury-related issues and questions. 

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–helping them understand brain injury and its effects, in addition to finding ways to move forward. 

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

Provide Valuable Resources & Support with Your Generous Gesture

Potential 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.