Dear friends,
With year-end approaching, we wanted to provide you with an overview of our activities for 2021. We sincerely hope you will make a tax-deductible contribution before the year closes. Your support allows us to fulfill our mission of helping TBI/ABI survivors and their families learn more about effective alternative treatments.
Accomplishments for 2021, Work to Do for 2022!
- The biggest news for the year is that The BART Foundation has added Portable Translingual Neurostimulation technology to our roster of safe alternative therapies. We believe this new treatment technology may help brain injury survivors achieve better outcomes. At present, the only such device commercially available for use in the USA and Canada is the PoNS™ device (Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator). While this treatment is not yet widely available, you can learn more on our website, which has a video describing the clinical trial using PoNS with people who have incurred a TBI. Please reach out to us with any questions you may have.
- Another promising technology on our “watch” list is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Already FDA approved for depression, TMS is beginning to show electiveness for other applications, like gait deficits, and is helping stroke survivors with improving gait and mobility. In addition, a recent clinical trial of TMS involving TBI survivors showed improvements in depression and cognition. Throughout 2022, we’ll be watching for additional published studies for indications it may have broader use as a treatment for TBI/ABI.
- Throughout 2021, we continued to develop our video resources, both on our website and YouTube Channel. Thought leaders in each therapy have graciously agreed to be interviewed for these lively, informative presentations, which may be more accessible for some than written works.
- This summer, The BART Foundation added user-friendly information about TBI/ABI to our website. It’s ideal for family and friends who want to understand better what these terms mean and how they impact a person. Please share this with those in your network who may benefit!
- Our Facebook page continues to grow! On average, we’re reaching over 20,000 people every month, with over 3,500 post engagements and over 2,500 followers.
- The BART Foundation’s Barlean’s Oil Scholarship, which puts Omega-3 oil into the hands of TBI/ABI survivors who could not otherwise afford it, is the first of its kind! While Barlean’s is not keeping metrics, we continue to hear from grateful recipients, who marvel at the ease of use and flexibility. (The program also includes free home delivery).
- GuideStar continues to recognize The BART Foundation with its Gold Star Seal of Transparency. GuideStar is the premier organization assessing and rating charities, and the Gold Seal level is only given to the top-ranking 1% of millions of 501(c)(3)s. Knowledgeable donors consult rankings to determine the trustworthiness of a charity. This accomplishment is a tribute to our board members’ hard work and the support of our loyal supporters. All hands well done!
- We believe that there is a vast undercounting of persons with TBI – including women victims of partner abuse, homeless individuals, incarcerated persons, even some high school and college athletes. We are investigating this area to provide more information. (E.g., Studies show as many as 50% to 80% of prisoners may suffer from mostly undiagnosed TBIs!).
- And finally, in 2022, we will introduce an innovative series of webinars featuring leading figures in alternative therapies. We will be inviting live audience participation and archiving the webinars for viewing on YouTube, Facebook, and our website. This new initiative will allow us to reach even wider circles within the brain injury community.
If you have questions or feedback about this yearly update, please let us know. Your love and support are a boon to us always. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our mission of researching and advocating for safe alternative therapies for ABI/TBI. As a 501(c)(3) educational charity with minuscule overhead, donations go almost entirely to further our mission.
I hope you are staying safe and well during these challenging times. Warmest of holiday greetings,
Joel, Bart, and The BART Foundation team
Guidestar Seal of Transparency
