Patriotic News Contact: Glen Cooney @ 202-292-4600 icanhelp@survive.org PRESS RELEASE: “Survive, Thrive & Alive!” Raising Awareness of Brain Injuries Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (the DVBIC) The Survive, Thrive & Alive! campaign raises awareness about Traumatic Brain Injuries and offers practical tips to active duty military, veterans and all Americans to prevent TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Convenes First Awareness Campaign Advisory Meeting Washington, D.C. – December 2, 2005 - The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) convened the first Advisory Board meeting to direct a new effort to increase awareness about traumatic brain Injuries (TBI). TBI is one of the signature injuries for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a public health issue affecting millions of Americans. The campaign, Survive, Thrive & Alive!, is an integrated multi-media approach to increase awareness of TBI. The campaign targets active duty military, veterans, family members and their caregivers. At the advisory board meeting, Warren Lux, M.D., DVBIC Medical Director, stated, “The message of this campaign is to let the public know the signs of brain injury and where help can be found.” The Advisory Board is composed of leading experts in the fields of neuroscience and military services. Advisory Board members will provide their professional and personal expertise to guide the campaign and will use their respective networks to distribute the media tools produced through this effort. These multiple points of distribution will increase awareness of TBI among soldiers, veterans and community stakeholders. In calling the board to action, Board Chairman Jeffrey Barth, Ph.D., University of Virginia School of Medicine, stated, “Our brave soldiers sustaining brain injuries while serving the nation deserve the very best treatment and rehabilitation we can offer. Surviving a brain injury is not the end of a life journey; but another challenge to overcome.” ### (end of DVCIC press release) The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), headquartered at Walter Reed Army Medical Ctr., is jointly funded by the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs.