Tomorrow is a New Day

By Lori Purdy Faitel – Brain Injury Advocate & Author “Am I BrainDamaged? Memoir of Return to Life After my Brain Injury”

Last night I enjoyed the annual Pic Nic of The North Oak Chapter- Support group. BIA-National and BIAMI-Michigan.

I have been a member of the BIA since late last year, 2009. I learned of the BIA as I was investigating to promote my writing.

In the first quarter of 2009 I sent out a letter to anyone and everyone I could find in the general business listings that had anything to do with Brain Injury. I found very limited data or documentation.

In the letter I introduced my book, and I asked to speak at functions. Jim Briggs, A TBI survivor and the president of the Ann Arbor Chapter- Support group responded immediately. Thank you Jim.

At The Ann Arbor support group I met Charles Baltimore, another TBI survivor, who is the son of the president of the Wayne Oakland Chapter- Support group: Sol Baltimore. I have been blessed by the friendships I have built while visiting different Michigan Support groups.

All support group attendees are survivors, caregivers and/or family members. In listening to many individual stories of life after TBI, and sadly some who have lost a Brain Injured loved one. It has become clear to me the importance of support and Brain Injury education.

My intention is to write a monthly newsletter that I will distribute not only to support groups but to medical people, facilities and the general public. I think in this way people of the world will be enlightened to this terrible phenomenon.

In this newsletter I want to offer writings from other survivors, and personal stories. I dream to have educational, social and promotional information along with resources for the Brain Injured.

I want to provide this newsletter at not cost. But I realize there will be costs to me. I am asking for services to be donated:

1. Articles or ideas

2. Donations of services such as printing, and postage.

3. Materials

4. Editing, I will chose the data each month but I obviously will need grammatical and spelling assistance.

For donations I will be proud to display your logo on the newsletter. For example: Oaklandmichiganhomes.com has been my life long supporter thus will forever have a spot on the newsletter.

Everyone who wishes to partake and participate in this please contact me at lfaitel@yahoo.com or via my cell phone 248-310-4815.

Please recreate this article and give it to anyone and everyone. Thank you J

Hello world!

My name is Lori Faitel;

I was born in Lansing Michigan,  an only child until 1973 when, my favorite toy  which is my brother Christopher, was born.  I lived with my parents until I was 24 years old  when I began a promising life as an up and coming businesswoman.  A life devastating automobile accident occurred which changed everything in 1986.  I suffered a TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury in April of 1986 and was in a coma for 7 days.   I spent the next 6 years in therapy until I felt like a functional person, again.   I became a student of various therapies and private study for about 6 years. Post Brain Trauma people must recreate who themselves.  I began working in the health care field, went back to college received an Occupational Therapy Degree in Allied Health.

My goal is to “pay it forward” and help others. Since 1992 I have lead a happy and healthy life in the world of the  Non-Brain Injured with my husband and many  pets.

I  created a book from memoirs written during my recuperation: “Am I Brain Damaged?”  I pray this book will open the minds of the general population, above all I wish to provide motivation and comfort to other Brain Injured people. 

I am a TBI survivor from a car accident.

We all have been through life changing events and that is why we have something in common.

I was on my way to work one morning in April of 1986. A stake truck carrying hay bales, for road construction, dropped a bail of hay on my windshield. That Lori Purdy at 24 years of age ceased to exist.

I have been blessed to live and work in the world of the non-brain injured since 1992. I am currently a C.O.T.A./L Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant/Licensed here in Michigan.

During my recuperation when I was still an inpatient at the hospital (Providence in Southfield) my Neuro-Psychologist suggested that I begin keeping a journal/memoir to help me organize my thoughts. I wrote thoughts on paper regularly. When I began to write my thoughts I was still very mentally confused. My motor function allowed me to write, almost legibly. I could draw the character of letters, but I did not remember words or how to spell. I then tried to put words to my thoughts; some of the writings came out very elementary.

My TBI occurred late in the Month of April in 1986, I am guessing I began writing by the end of summer in 1986. I kept writing in notebooks for almost 20 years. My writing became my source of power. I knew that some day I would help others with my thoughts.

In 2007 a Speech Pathologist friend/co-worker suggested I put these thoughts into a book.  I tried to create such a book. But, to read the words, my own personal confused words and vivid memories were too upsetting to me.

In 2008, for me to create something others could understand became very important to me.  I put out an email to everyone I knew asking for an editor who had patience to read what I had written, to write their own view of what they were reading.  I found such an editor through the chapter president of a volunteer group I am still active with, Queen for a day, (currently known as Queen for a Day/ Heros-QFAD/Heros) Queen for a Day (QFAD) and Heroes are national non-profit charities whose mission is to raise the self esteem and confidence of children 3-21 with cancer.

My Editor was Heather Haack.  Heather worked with me for a year, spending many hours reading, editing old and new writings. Heather and I worked with the writings back and forth until my information could be put into a story format then created into a book.

This book is “Am I Brain Damaged?” by Lori Purdy Faitel, I self-published in February of 2009. I am very proud of this book.  I know that if I had something like this when I was recuperating it would have been a great source of inspiration.  As a writing professional, I was told I am a WRITER, being that I have a published book regardless that I self-published. I am aware of 10 errors in grammar in this book.  I also have a downloadable version that I believe is error free.

A goal in my recuperated life is to do all I can to motivate and help other brain injured. I would be honored if I could come to one of your meetings and introduce my book.

For an autographed copy of my book contact me via my cell phone or via email at lfaitel@yahoo.com or 248-310-4815.

If you want an instant downloadable copy of “Am I Brain Damaged?” it may be purchased here

Get Instant Download of Am I Brain Damaged:

or you can go through Barnes and noble here:

Blessings!!

Lori