Hope, and hard work were mainstage at the Brain Injury Association of New York State’s (BIANYS) Advocacy Day, sponsored by Assemblymember John T. McDonald III on March 12, 2025.

The daylong event at the Legislative Office Building raised awareness of brain injuries and served as a platform to advocate for key policy initiatives. Fourteen participants from the Living Resources Brain Injury program and their staff joined others advocating for BIANYS’s top legislative priorities for 2025, including; a continuum of care for neuro-resource facilitates, updated school concussion management and response protocols, and funding for Concussion Outreach Prevention Education (COPE). Their community priorities revolved around the TBI waiver program, housing, increased services for brain injury survivors, transportation issues, and the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program.

Senators Ashby, Fahy, and Brouk, along with Assemblymembers McDonald and Alvarez voiced their support to the many needs of the brain injury community. Survivors and caregivers shared personal stories of resilience. After lunch, the Living Resources Choir performed “Hope Survives” by Cristabelle Braden. The chorus of the song reverberated throughout the building:

With a little hope, you can make it through today.
With a little faith, someday you’ll get through the pain.
Just a little love is enough to light the way.
Through your darkest night, hope survives! Hope survives!

Prior to the event, Living Resources Brain Injury participant and Board of Directors member Brian Taylor shared his journey with his Living Resources family. He started attending Living Resources in 2021 when programs began to reopen after the COVID shutdown. After his brain injury, he struggled with “being in a bad place” but the group equipped him with the life skills training and social interaction crucial to managing the ups and downs of having a brain injury. He said, “Here, people understand what I am going through. I feel productive and heard. I have a purpose to fight for something, which I never had before my injury.”

Fellow participant Bobby, who has participated in Living Resources services for well over ten years, agreed and shared his gratitude for the assistance Living Resources provided him in finding a job. He is proud to work at Pioneer Bank, scanning documents. One of his favorite social activities is currently the Dungeons and Dragons group.  Without social interaction at Living Resources, Bobby said he felt anxious, bored, and lonely.

These gentlemen embody the lyrics they later sang at the event: “Hope is an anchor for your soul. Just hang on, look how far you’ve come, and know you are not alone.” Their stories highlight the power of  hope and hard work on the road to recovery. We are grateful to them and all who have made Living Resources their part of their journey.

Learn more about Living Resources Brain Injury Program by going to https://www.livingresources.org/services/brain-injury-services/