Ali Wallace, also known as Miss Oregon, recently discussed living with the aftereffects of a traumatic brain injury with the Huffington Post. During her first year of high school, Ali was on the varsity cheer team. She would often practice outside of school to master her skills. One afternoon, Ali was practicing round-offs in a dance studio when she hesitated in the middle of a flip and slammed her head into the floor. Ali complained she could not see out of her left eye and was feeling nauseous. Nurses did not take Ali’s concussion seriously, telling her to go home and get rest. A day later, Ali claimed she had sensitivity to light and ached all over.

Ali was diagnosed with a concussion by her primary care doctor and told she would need to take one month off school. Her recovery lasted several months, and the aftereffects of the concussion still affect her years later.

Brain Injuries Can Have Lasting Effects On Accident Survivors

Today, Ali is in college and still suffering from her traumatic brain injury. She has aphasia, memory problems and issues with depth perception. Aphasia can cause a person with a traumatic brain injury to have difficulty pronouncing or recalling words. Ali must write down everything she plans to do the next day, she gets lost while driving and has other issues with her memory. Her issues with depth perception can cause collisions with walls, doors and other objects.

Despite facing these difficulties, Ali is finishing college and later plans to finish a master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Ali is not “less intelligent”, but she does suffer from the long-term effects of her traumatic brain injury. There are many people with similar stories to Ali’s, some of whom continue to suffer the effects from their “invisible injuries”.

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