Traumatic Brain Injury In In Search Of Wings, By Beverly Bryant

Introduction
When it comes to acquiring a traumatic brain injury, every individual's experience is different. In the novel, “In Search of Wings,” by Beverly Bryant, Beverly shares her story of acquiring a disability. She then proceeds to describe how her life drastically changed and how overwhelming her new challenges had become. After being involved in a car accident, she went from being a top National gymnastics judge who was very active and independent, to being a patient living at rehabilitation hospital having to rely on others to help with basic tasks. Due to her extravagant life and being so involved in her community, Beverly had a difficult time accepting her new identity and limitations. She suffered from cognitive and physical

For those who have acquired this disability, finding oneself and accepting the person they have become can be very challenging. For further research, one question to be asked is, how can individuals who acquire a traumatic brain injury learn to accept their new identity? Interview questions – student will develop 5-10 interview prompts that they will use in order to gain evidence regarding the research question. You only need to list the interview prompts you used in this section, as the answers to the prompts will be included in the results/findings section.
1. How did you acquire your traumatic brain injury?
2. Was there any part of acquiring a disability that resulted in a significant change?
3. How has a TBI affected the relationships in your life either in a negative or positive way?
4. Have you noticed a change in your identity and how you view yourself?
5. How have your hobbies /interests changed or stayed the same?
6. What/ who helped motivate you to participate in different hobbies again?
7. Has your role in life (family, work, school, etc.) changed from before the TBI? If so,

One way she shared her experience was writing a book. She became the author of, “Reinventing Oneself After Loss.” In this book, Hilary discusses her experience of loss and searching for her new identity. Along with that, she expresses how her new self-awareness of limitations and skills plays a role in how she reinvented herself. Another interest Hilary has developed is being a guest speaker at colleges and special events. She believes that sharing her experience of acquiring a disability will help others in various ways. “I want to give back to the world. Not only do I want to help others gain hope in accepting who they are, but I want to help people understand what it is truly like having this disability,” Hilary