You’re Invited: August 21 – Brain Injury Awareness Week Event 2023

Guest Speakers

Damian DeWit

In 2005, Damian was a young man, with a big dream and a determination to build a successful career for himself – whilst finding love and having kids.

One day that all changed when Damian’s car windshield was struck by a rock became the target of a rock throwing incident, where a person driving an oncoming car threw a rock out of their window, straight into the window of his. This high-profile incident resulted in Damian acquiring a traumatic brain injury, the impact of which he has lived with since.

Spending his early moments of recovery in Hamstead and in denial with a sense of non-belief that he had this injury; Damian persevered through therapy, multiple surgeries, and his own grief at how the incident had changed his life, to strengthen family connections, regain employment, find hope, and become a father to his adored son.

Damian credits his stoicism to his sense of humour, his family’s support, and his overall determination to move on with living his life – without vengeance.

Join us for a conversation with Damian, who will speak about his accident, the aftermath, his recovery and his journey of self-discovery across the last 20 years.

John Platten

My journey – football, family and the long-term impact of concussion.

John loved to play football, starting at the young age of 6, and moving into playing for both SANFL and AFL football clubs across 18 years. Across his football career, John suffered more than 30 concussions, ranging in severity and in immediate impact. John joins us at Brain Injury Awareness Week to talk about his life, his experience and memories of concussion during his career, and the long-term impact it is now having on his everyday life.

Brain Injury Awareness Week (BIAW) Gallery

Please share with us what you’ve been working on, and what could be displayed in a gallery at the Brain Injury Awareness Week launch event on 21 August 2023.

Register your Interest to participant in Brain Injury Awareness Week Gallery today. We’d love to hear from you!