Virden Royal Purple members Shirley Gibson (Past National President) and Fran Bayliss (National Director for Manitoba) attended the Royal Purple Society of Canada Annual General Meeting in Strathmore, Alberta, July 16-19, with Royal Purple members from across Canada. The Royal Purple Society of Canada has adopted brain injury awareness and prevention as a national cause. Our national events are: Brain Love Month in March, Royal Purple Week in May, National Brain Injury Student Poster Competition and Purple Thursday, the third Thursday in October. The highlight of the event was the Lunch and Learn session held on Tuesday 19 July. In attendance were: Shane Remple, Brain Injury Association of Southern Alberta (SABIS), Ashley Brosda, Alberta Brain Care Center, as well as Dr. Halina Haag, researcher at Wilfred Laurier University. Shane Remple of Calgary, Alberta, told the gathering that SABIS is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting brain injury survivors and their supporters to access the services and resources they need to live as independently as possible in the community. Ashley Brosda, Edmonton-Edson Area Brain Care Center, talks about the non-profit organization that provides programs and services to adults who have suffered acquired brain injuries and their support systems. The guest speaker, Dr. Halina Haag, is a PhD student and contract faculty member in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfred Laurier University and a Research Intern at the Acquired Brain Injury Research Laboratory at the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on women who have experienced intimate partner violence with subsequent brain damage. A shadow pandemic has emerged over the past two years at the intersection of intimate partner violence and brain injury. Researcher Lynn Haag says the number of women affected is staggering – one in three experiences IPV – given that most women who experience IPV suffer brain damage as a result. Lynn Haag examines the gendered experience of brain injury – the barriers and facilitators affecting mental health, return to work and social integration faced by women with brain injuries who have experienced intimate partner violence. Dr Hagg told the group that every year thousands of women experience intimate partner violence, suffering injuries from blows to the head, neck and face. Unfortunately, very little has been done to research this condition, leaving female survivors vulnerable to increased rates of re-violence, permanent disability, criminal justice system involvement, homelessness, poverty and mental health challenges. Following Dr. Haag’s presentation, a check for $5,000 (money raised by Royal Purple groups across Canada) was presented to a research centre, “WomenatthecentrE” for ongoing research. Brain Injury Awareness and Prevention and the launch of Purple Thursday in October will allow our organization and members to take the lead as a national partner in stopping violence and raising awareness. On the third Thursday in October, Virden Royal Purple members along with other Royal Purple groups across Canada will deliver Purple Care bags to designated women’s shelters. With the support of local communities, we can all be part of this great initiative.
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