A concussion is a broken brain. And it doesn’t have to be just a hit to the head. It is an impact on your body that moves up to your brain. -Lynne Becker

Welcome to part 2 of a concussion story every mom, dad, coach, caregiver, and healthcare professional needs to hear. The single mother of two, Lynne Becker’s daughters were both athletes, but when her daughter Natalie was hit at point-blank range with a soccer ball, she got the phone call no parent wants to receive. Natalie was knocked unconscious. The athletic trainer reported that she couldn’t speak or remember her name. This jarring hit to the 17-year-old’s head would unfold in a journey that lasted over 4 years and included 26 brain bleeds, changes to her personality, and the need for homeschooling. In this interview, Lynne shares that her expertise as a biostatistician and an epidemiologist was a secret weapon that would lead to unlocking the many mysteries of how traumatic brain injuries or TBIs are reported and observed. While caring for Natalie full-time, Lynne lost her job but was soon recruited by the Department of Defense and tasked with building a real-world, brain injury database for Special Operations teams. As she began compiling data on Seals and Green Berets, she asked herself: “What is the common denominator? What makes the injury of a 30-year-old Green Beret in a bomb blast similar to a 17-year-old girl injured by a hit to the side of the head with a soccer ball?” Thanks to Lynne’s work with the DOD, she learned about the use of bio-neuro-feedback for the treatment of TBI, and in just 5 sessions, Natalie stopped napping every day and was even able to complete her college degree. Born and raised in a little “whistle-stop” town in upstate New York, Lynne is the founder of powerofpatients.com, where she is devoted to helping those with brain injuries actively engage in their health and well-being. #concussion #TBI #thestorybehindhersuccess