Unlocking My Brain

Description

I did not want anyone to ever feel as disorientated and bewildered as I did." - Christine Durham. Unlocking the Brain (previously published as Doing Up Buttons)brings to life Christine's personal experience of brain injury - from being unable to walk, talk, see or think clearly, to how she regained her life, her thoughts and her confidence. In 1991 Christine was involved in a horrific car accident and suffered extensive injuries including Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Not only is Unlocking The Brain a guidebook for people with brain injury to help them come to terms with the daily experience of ABI, it is also a reference book to help professionals understand the backstory of their clients. Brain injury not only damages a person's brain and body (as recognized by the medical profession) it also damages the person's beliefs, hope, honour, trust, safety and security.

Christine Durham lives in Eltham, Victoria, Australia. An educator by training she taught at Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School for over two decades and was a Founding Member of Philosophy for Children Victoria searching for ways to enrich the thinking/understanding of students. In 1991 Christine was involved in a horrific car accident and suffered extensive injuries including brain injury. Passionate about returning to teaching, she developed and conducted over 4 000 Philosophy/Thinking workshops with students and wrote 'Chasing Ideas' to encourage parents and teachers to help children to be better, brighter thinkers. After Penguin Books published Doing Up Buttons (a book about putting her life together following her accident) Christine was invited to speak to a wide variety of audiences in Australia and overseas. These included leading community organizations, leadership and rehabilitation groups, health professionals, universities, school principals and parents. In 2012, aged sixty-seven, she obtained a PhD in Health Sciences in spite of her double vision, and discovered ways to help people with brain injury help themselves feel and fare better. Christine received the BrainLink 2012 Woman of Achievement Award 'In recognition of her determination, commitment, creativity and contribution to the community'. She has been nominated for the 2014 Australian Senior of the Year Award.