Journeys of Hope
Inspiring Stories
Learn from the inspiring stories of people who live, work, and navigate brain injuries throughout Nebraska.

Jake’s Story – Concrete Lullaby
On his 6th birthday, 20 years ago this month, Jake Stewart suffered a TBI from a fall. Like so many people Brain Injury Association of Nebraska serves, Jake has found ways to compensate and overcome the lasting effects from his injury to find his own voice and literally...

Mike’s Story
Growing up, every time the phone would ring, we wondered is it my father? Dad, like other construction workers, would migrate to wherever jobs could be had, sometimes hundreds of miles away from home. The phone rang and I jumped at the jangle of the old-fashioned...

Joe’s Journey
When Joe was a 28-year-old Physician Assistant, he was seeing up to 35 patients a day in a busy doctor’s office in a rural Nebraska town. Judy, the Support Group Facilitator, wrote about the experiences that Joe shares. Joe says, he had a “hair-brained idea” to get a...

Hope in the Most Unlikely Places
D.F. had a difficult childhood and his family struggled financially. “We didn’t have a lot of money, but we were self-sufficient and took care of things ourselves.” While they did get by, it wasn’t that simple. A stressful and traumatic childhood was made more...

From Child Abuse to Special Olympics: Rueben’s Story
Hi! My name is Rueben. I was born, September 30, 1979, in Portsmouth Hospital, Virginia. My dad was in the Navy. We lived in a house by the beach near the Navy base in Norfolk, VA. The three of us were happy. Mom and I went to see my grandparents in New York. When we...

Liz & Vinnie: When Motherhood Means More
My name is Liz. My son Vinnie is 4 years old with multiple disabilities, as a result of a hypoxic brain injury at birth. He spent his first month in NICU, even though he was a full-term baby. And he was sent home on hospice care. He has spastic quadriplegic cerebral...

Jordan and Joy: Finding Meaning in Helping Others
As a Resource Facilitator for the Brain Injury Association of Nebraska (BIA-NE) I have the privilege of talking to many individuals that have experienced a brain injury and their caregivers. What I hear most is their need for meaningful connections with others that have...

Harlan’s Story
At almost 69 years old, Harlan wants people to know that he considers himself, “a survivor and a sinner, no better than anyone else.” So, I asked Harlan, “Why do people consider you a miracle?” In startling detail, Harlan describes the day when the miracle occurred....

Horse Sense
Shir Smith is a mentor, advocate, and a woman of great faith in God, who lives with the reality that, “A brain injury can Happen to Anyone, Anywhere, at Any Time.” Sometimes, multiple times… Have you fallen from a tree or a horse and been treated for broken bones?...
Our Affiliations
Brain Injury Association of Nebraska is fortunate to work alongside likeminded associations – all driven to help educate the communities we live in.





Have a Question?
Have questions about brain injury support, resources, or how to begin your own journey of hope? We’re here to help. Reach out anytime through our Contact page, and one of our dedicated team members will gladly provide the guidance and information you need.