Month: July 2017

Four individuals connected to the local brain injury community to be named this year’s honorees

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y.: July 26 2017 – The Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS), a statewide non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of individuals with brain injuries and their families, announced today that four local individuals have been named the 2017 Honorees for their inaugural satellite walk on Long Island.  The event, which will be held in partnership with Mind Over Matter, is scheduled for Saturday, August 26 at New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) – Old Westbury campus in Old Westbury, N.Y.

“The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to announce this year’s honorees,” said Eileen Reardon, BIANYS Executive Director “We have four outstanding individuals who are personally connected with or are working in the field of brain injury and are thrilled that they will serve as this year’s honorees.  Each individual’s connection with brain injury is unique and through their personal stories and outreach we hope to unite hundreds of individuals on Long Island who have been impacted by this invisible injury.”

The March On for Brain Injury campaign serves as a statewide celebration.  The addition of the Long Island Satellite walk to the March On for Brain Injury events, will support the organization’s growth in building awareness, visibility and understanding of brain injury across New York State. Proceeds from the event will benefit the organization’s programs and services supporting individuals statewide.

The following individuals have been named this year’s honorees:

-Partner Honoree
Jenna Mosenson
The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to honor Jenna Mosenson, a 20-year-old former roller hockey player who suffered numerous concussions.  She founded Mind Over Matter (mindovermatter-tbi.org) an organization dedicated to bringing awareness of and educating the public about concussion.

-Medical Honoree 
Dr. Deborah M. Benson
Dr. Benson is a New York State Licensed Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working with brain injury survivors and their families on Long Island. She is a Senior Director of Clinical Services at Paradigm Outcomes, maintains privileges at Northwell Health, and founded Common Ground Alliance, a Long Island volunteer organization that provides social/recreational activities for brain injury survivors and families.  Dr. Benson, a former BIANYS board member, remains an active participant in BIANYS’ Long Island Chapter and is committed to serving and advocating for brain injury survivors and families.

-Youth Honoree
Donovan Maldonado
The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to honor Donovan Maldonado as this year’s youth honoree. On Tuesday, January 12, 2016, Donovan “Donny” Maldonado was struck by a car while walking home from school. He suffered severe head trauma (TBI) and a shattered spleen among other ailments.  After about seven months in inpatient rehab, Donny finally came home on August 22, 2016 and was able to walk and talk again.  This special young man as made a miraculous journey and he is not finished yet!

-Corporate Honoree
Dr. Hallie Zwibel, New York Institute of Technology  – Center for Sports Medicine
The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to honor Dr. Hallie Zwibel of New York Institute of Technology- Center for Sports Medicine as this year’s Corporate Honoree.  At the NYIT Center for Sports Medicine, the multidisciplinary team includes over 40 providers specializing in neurology, sports medicine, pediatrics, and psychology, in addition to occupational and physical therapies.  Currently, the Center provides injury and illness management, concussion care, and education, to the over 800 NYIT and LIO Post collegiate athletes, the NYIT community of students, faculty, and staff, as well as patients in the local community.

The March On for Brain Injury Long Island Satellite event will feature a fun walk and activities for the whole family to enjoy.  Attendees will gather at the Riland Health Care Center on the NYIT-Old Westbury campus.  Registration will begin at 9 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. start time for the walk. Attendees are encouraged to walk at their own pace.

Since its inception, nearly $185,000 has been raised through March On for Brain Injury events across New York State to support programs and services provided by the organization. As part of their statewide campaign, BIANYS will be also be hosting March on for Brain Injury event in Rochester and Hudson Valley.

March on for Brain Injury – Long Island is presented by the Brain Injury Association of New York State in partnership with Mind Over Matter.  Additional support for the event is provided by: J & G Associates, NYIT Center for Sports Medicine and Northwell Health Rehabilitation Network. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Erica Rossin by phone at 518-459-7911 or via email at erossin@bianys.org.

For more information or to register, visit https://hudsonvalleymarchon.bianys.org/LongIsland.

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OLD WESTBURY, N.Y.: July 18, 2017 – The Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS), a statewide non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of individuals with brain injuries and their families, announced today their plans to expand their popular March On for Brain Injury campaign to include an inaugural satellite walk on Long Island.  The event, which will be held in partnership with Mind Over Matter, will take place on Saturday, August 26 at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in Old Westbury, N.Y.

The addition of the Long Island Satellite walk to the March On for Brain Injury events will support the organization’s growth in developing a one-day statewide celebration to build awareness, visibility and understanding of brain injury across New York State. Proceeds from the event will benefit the organization’s programs and services supporting individuals statewide.

“The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to partner with Mind Over Matter for this exciting expansion of one of our signature events to Long Island,” said Eileen Reardon, BIANYS Executive Director “We have a strong chapter and great partners on Long Island and we are thrilled to be able to let the Long Island community know that there is support for individuals impacted by brain injury and their family members. We are also thankful to NYIT for collaborating with us and inviting us to host our upcoming event at their facility.”

The March On for Brain Injury Long Island Satellite event will feature a family fun walk and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Attendees will gather at the Riland Health Care Center on the NYIT-Old Westbury campus.  Registration will begin at 9 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. start time for the walk. Attendees are encouraged to walk at their own pace.

Since its inception, nearly $185,000 has been raised through March On for Brain Injury events across New York State to support programs and services provided by the organization. As part of their statewide campaign, BIANYS will be also be hosting March on for Brain Injury events in Rochester, Hudson Valley, with an additional satellite walk in New York City.

March On for Brain Injury Long Island Satellite Walk is presented by the Brain Injury Association of New York State in partnership with Mind Over Matter. Additional support for the event is provided by: J & G Associates and NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine Center for Sports Medicine. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Erica Rossin by phone at 518-459-7911 or via email at erossin@bianys.org.

For more information or to register, visit https://hudsonvalleymarchon.bianys.org/LongIsland.

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BIANYS ANNOUNCES LOCAL HONOREES FOR UPCOMING MARCH ON FOR BRAIN INJURY 5K AND FAMILY FUN WALK AT SENECA PARK IN AUGUST

Three individuals connected to the local brain injury community to be named this year’s honorees

ROCHESTER, N.Y.: July 18, 2017 – The Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS), a statewide non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of individuals with brain injuries and their families, announced today that three local individuals have been named the 2017 Honorees for the March On for Brain Injury Event.  The event is scheduled to return to Seneca Park on Saturday, August 26 in Rochester, N.Y.

Now in its fourth year, March On for Brain Injury will feature an inaugural 5K course aimed to attract more participants to the already popular family-friendly event.

“The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to announce this year’s honorees,” said Eileen Reardon, BIANYS Executive Director “We have three outstanding individuals who are personally connected with or are working in the field of brain injury, we are proud that they will serve as this year’s honorees.  Each individual’s connection with brain injury is unique and through their personal stories and outreach we hope to unite hundreds of individuals in Rochester and surrounding areas who have been impacted by this invisible injury.”

The following individuals have been named this year’s honorees:
-Adult Honoree
Evan Pirrello
The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to honor Evan Pirrello.  Evan is an active 27 year old who suffered a brain injury at a very young age.  With the help of his family and many people along the way, Evan graduated high school and college. Today, Evan works at Wegmans, lives in his own apartment and is able to live a happy and meaningful life.

-Medical Honoree 
Dr. Ryan Uribe
The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to honor Dr. Ryan Uribe as this year’s Medical Honoree.  Dr. Uribe is a Doctor of Chiropractic.  He is nationally board certified and has held state licensure in both Kansas and New York.  He has a special interest in problems related to the upper neck.  Dr. Uribe has been studying the craniocervical junction extensively and how it impacts brain function.  He is passionate about increasing awareness of education about how upper cervical specific chiropractic can help patients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries.

-Youth Honoree
Peter Forte
The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to honor Peter Forte ‘Petie’ as this year’s youth honoree. Petie was 14 years old when he sustained a traumatic brain injury spending nearly three weeks in a coma. He underwent months of rehabilitation in order to recover strength and learn to eat and walk again.  Through his journey, Petie got connected with the Brain Injury Association of New York State and to date is continuing his recovery as an active FACTS participant with the support of his family.

The March On for Brain Injury 5K and Family Fun Walk serves as a statewide celebration in building awareness, visibility and understanding of brain injury across New York State. All proceeds from the event will benefit the organization’s programs and services supporting individuals statewide.

In addition to the 5K course, the event will feature a one-mile family fun walk and activities for the whole family to enjoy.  Attendees will gather at Seneca Park.  Registration will begin at 8 a.m. followed by a 9 a.m. kick-off for the 5K run and a 10 a.m. start time for the walk.

Since its inception, nearly $185,000 has been raised through the March On for Brain Injury events to support programs and services provided by the organization.  As part of their statewide campaign, BIANYS will also be hosting March On for Brain Injury in Hudson Valley with satellite walks in both New York City and on Long Island.

March on for Brain Injury presented by iHeartMedia and Mix 100.5 with additional support from Companion Care of Rochester. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Erica Rossin by phone at 518-459-7911 or via email at erossin@bianys.org.

For more information or to register, visit https://rochestermarchon.bianys.org/

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ALBANY, N.Y.: July 6, 2017 –  The Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS), announced today that Isabella Sementilli of Schenectady County has been named Youth Honoree for their upcoming Hudson Valley March On for Brain Injury.  The popular event is slated to return to the Walkway over the Hudson on August 26.

“The Brain Injury Association of New York State is pleased to announce Isabella as our 2017 Youth Honoree for the Hudson Valley March On for Brain Injury,” said Eileen Reardon, BIANYS Executive Director “Isabella is a leader as a youth advocate, raising awareness of both brain injury and bullying. She truly is an inspiration for so many teens who face similar situations.”

In October of 2013, Sementilli an extremely active fifth grader, suffered a serious concussion, fractured tailbone, back and neck injuries after a classmate yanked out her chair as she went to sit down.  Just a few months later, Sementilli suffered a second concussion leaving her with a lasting debilitating headache disorder. She had to stop reading, watching TV and using electronic devices. Tap and tennis were also put on hold indefinitely and replaced by doctor and physical therapy appointments.

“Despite the pain that Isabella faced after her injury, sitting around wasn’t an option for her,” said Isabella’s mother Pola Sementilli.  “Isabella learned to knit and bake and even tweaked a family cookie recipe now selling at our family restaurant, Scotti’s.  Isabella donates to charities and organizations close to her heart.”

Today, Sementilli is an active member of BIANYS most recently participating as a youth leader at the 2017 Advocacy Day and currently serving as a member of the BIANYS Youth Concussion Council. She also actively supports many local and national anti-bullying charities.

Now in its fourth year, the Hudson Valley March On for Brain Injury will feature an inaugural 5K course, a one-mile family fun walk and activities for the whole family to enjoy.  Attendees will gather on the Poughkeepsie side of the Walkway over the Hudson.  Registration will begin at 8 a.m. followed by a 9 a.m. kick-off for the 5K run a 10 a.m. start time for the walk.

Since its inception, nearly $185,000 has been raised through March On for Brain Injury events to support programs and services provided by the organization. As part of their statewide campaign, BIANYS will be also be hosting March on for Brain Injury in Rochester with satellite locations in New York City and on Long Island.

March on for Brain Injury is presented by iHeartMedia and is made possible with the support of longstanding partners Goldblatt & Associates, P.C., and O’Connell & Aronowitz, P.C.  Additional support for the event is provided by: J & G Associates, St. Charles Hospital and NYIT Center for Sports Medicine. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Erica Rossin by phone at 518-459-7911 or via email at erossin@bianys.org.

For more information or to register, visit hudsonvalleymarchon.bianys.org.