Survivors like Linsi Petrson say most people don't think about brain injuries until it happens to them or someone they know.
"I had a brain aneurysm about three and a half years ago and it kind of really rocked my world," says Petrson.
Petrson says she came to this year's Nebraska Brain Injury Conference mostly to network, but she'll also come away with life changing information.
"I just went to the substance abuse session and that was really, really informative," she says. "I guess drinking will totally mess you up if you have had a brain injury, and I did not know that."
Attendees say the conference also lets people know they're not alone.
"Whether you be a professional, whether you be a survivor, or a family member we're all extended family and that's what I like," says Gina Simanek, a survivor and a Brain Injury Group Support Facilitator.
Simanek says she's done brain injury outreach work for almost 20 years, and knows that finding the resources and information can be tough. That's why she's working to create a Brain Injury Community Center.
"I love what I do and so do other people, but it's overwhelming too," she says. "That's why we need to have one center that provides those resources, gives the education, as well as education to professionals about brain traumas because there's so much to know and understand."
But until such a facility becomes a reality, Simanek says meeting people and sharing information at the conference is the next best thing.
