Brain Injury Association walk raises awareness, spotlights Long Island woman's recovery
Emily Sciascia, of Hicksville, who suffered devastating injuries in a 2022 crash, took part in Saturday's walk. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
After Emily Sciascia suffered bone breaks and a skull fracture in a December 2022 car crash, she endured five brain hemorrhages and fell into a 2½-week coma.
Doctors gave her a grim prognosis.
“They thought I would never walk or talk again,” said Sciascia, 28, of Hicksville.
Nearly two years later, at the Brain Injury Association of New York State’s seventh annual March On for Brain Injury Walk in Eisenhower Park on Saturday, Sciascia was named the organization’s Long Island honoree before she walked the route in the park — overcoming odds that once seemed insurmountable.
She said the event was important in connecting the community of people who have experienced brain injuries and offering an opportunity for their loved ones to learn from one another as they support recovery.
“Not many people know anything about brain injury,” Sciascia said. “I think having people talk about the more odd things you’re experiencing — I think it’s important. But for the friends and family, I think it’s almost even more important for them.”
Christina LeBeau, the director of advocacy for the Brain Injury Association of New York State, at Saturday's event. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Christina LeBeau, the director of advocacy for the Brain Injury Association of New York State, said Saturday’s Long Island event was happening simultaneously with two other walks, in the Hudson Valley and Rochester. Before the noon start, more than $87,000 had been raised for the organization’s initiatives across the three events.
“It’s all about education and making sure that people understand that brain injury is actually out there quite a bit,” LeBeau said.
She said Sciascia’s story is an example of the possibilities of recovery.
Sciascia had been a passenger in a car that hydroplaned and crashed in Westbury. Afterward, she underwent a craniotomy, a procedure that involves removing part of the skull. She also faced the challenges posed by a broken face, shoulder and foot. However, when she emerged from her coma, she began to speak. She was then transferred to Rusk Rehabilitation in Manhattan to continue her recovery.
Despite her improvements, she still feels lingering symptoms, including irritability and unique issues like the inability to immediately notice temperature changes. Still, she said she has improved to be just as articulate as she was prior to the crash.
“That’s what we want to show: That with education and support you can be part of the community and show people that it’s an incredible feat to overcome, but you can do it,” LeBeau said.
Saturday’s event in Eisenhower Park drew nearly 200 people and featured live music and about a dozen groups centered on providing education and support for survivors and their families. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Dr. Brian Im, the director of brain injury rehabilitation at NYU, was the Brain Injury Association of New York State’s statewide honoree for his work in the field. Working through brain injuries, he said, requires an extensive network of community to support patients after they leave the hospital.
"We get to see a lot of the resources that it takes to really provide the appropriate level of care, and the health care system can only provide so much of that," Im said.
Traumatic brain injuries can cause a range of physical, cognitive and emotional issues, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data in 2021 found over 69,000 traumatic brain injury-related deaths in the United States, and in 2020 there were more than 214,000 hospitalizations related to traumatic brain injuries. More than half of those hospitalizations were due to falls.
Saturday’s park meetup in East Meadow drew nearly 200 people and featured live music and about a dozen groups centered on providing education and support for survivors and their families.
Dina Pagnotta, director of strategic initiatives for NYU Langone’s Concussion Center, manned one of the tables in the registration area and handed out educational materials. The walk offered an opportunity, she said, to support survivors and increase awareness on the role of preventing brain injuries.
“That’s really what we want to do, to prevent these injuries,” Pagnotta said.
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