Healing the brain takes structure

Blowing bubbles may seem like child’s play, but if you’ve experienced a brain injury, it’s not as easy as it appears.

"Coordination and balance are needed when swinging the wand," said Mary Wilson, executive director of the nonprofit Brain Injury Association of Hawaii.

"Blowing helps them to pro­ject the amount of air coming out of the lungs. It’s a cognitive process to figure out how to make the bubbles come out in longer streams."

Bubble blowing is just one of the activities taking place during the therapeutic structured day program offered four days a week at the association’s new Brain Injury Resource Center on Vineyard Boulevard. The 1,400-square-foot center opened in February after a successful three-month pilot proj­ect in 2012 that helped determine program criteria, training needs and policies.

It was established through donations in a campaign spearheaded by Ian Mattoch, a personal injury attorney whose clients include brain injury survivors. Mattoch is board president of the Brain Injury Association of Hawaii.

Physical, cognitive and recreational therapy is provided through art proj­ects, computer games, cooking, dance and exercise sessions. Admission to the fee-based program is usually by medical referral, but Wilson said individuals may be accepted on their own if an evaluation indicates they are a good fit for the program.

The center helps people like Janessa Dicus, who suffered a brain injury in 1999 after taking diet supplements that contained ephedra. She was 27 years old at the time, with two young children. Her memory is impaired, and her mother, Karen Lopez, 59, of Kaneohe, retired early from her job as a police dispatcher in 2005 in order to care for her daughter. Lopez also assists at the center on a regular basis and serves as the association’s board vice president.

Another participant, Kendall McCreary, 46, suffered a stroke in 2007 but is now working full time as a cashier for Goodwill Industries.

"I’d never have been able to go back to work if it wasn’t for this program," said McCreary, a former educator.

Meanwhile, participants in the pilot program who continued on to the day program have shown steady improvement. Carl Debo, 58, suffered a stroke in 2009 but is back teaching a robotics class at Sacred Hearts Academy. Consolacion "Ching" Mongca, 24, whose brain injury was a result of a 2009 car accident, could barely speak above a whisper and had some difficulty walking with a cane. She now speaks at an audible level and walks without assistance.

About 2,000 brain injuries occur annually in Hawaii due to stroke, cardiac arrest and trauma from falls and vehicle crashes. Patients may receive outpatient care immediately following their brain injury, but once insurance coverage runs out, there are few structured day programs to help them make the transition back into everyday life.

Mattoch believes the program has plenty of room to expand.

"Brain injury survivors are an underserved community. My clients needed a place to go after they’re discharged from a rehab setting," he said. "We’ve been at it tooth and claw for a long time. We decided to jump off a cliff and hope for a soft landing.

"So far, the results have been remarkable."