In 1997, 10-year-old Jason Rooker accidentally hung himself while playing in his front yard. The brain injury he suffered would eventually take his life … and inspire his parents to found a nonprofit to help other New River Valley families struggling with such tragedies: Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia.
But over the years BISSWVA has grown beyond the NRV to provide resources to 11,000 square miles of Virginia, from Martinsville and Lynchburg to Alleghany and Lee County. And the unwieldiness of the name can be a mouthful to say and difficult for clients to remember.
In this episode, we feature the emotional stories of individuals and families whose lives have been challenged by brain injury. And we are thrilled to welcome back to BUZZ marketing specialist Wordsprint, which helped rebrand Mill Mountain Zoo and Eastmont Community Foundation in previous episodes.
Episode 21 was originally broadcast on June 29, 2022, on Blue Ridge PBS. A watch party was held for the premiere at The Grandin Theatre with the BISSWVA community.
We thank these individuals and businesses for providing the sponsorship support for this episode:
- Portfolio Design Services (Bruce Swanson)
- Robert and MaryElyn McNichols
- Freedom First Credit Union
