Robert Hinson
You aren’t the only one out there.
Brain Injury Survivor | Self-Advocate
The Power of Support: Why Groups Matter!
Robert Hinson
Robert Hinson is a brain injury survivor and self-advocate who shares how peer support helped him connect with others who understand the realities of brain injury and recovery. His story shows the importance of lived experience, friendship, connection, and knowing you are not alone.
IN HER OWN WORDS
My name is Robert Hinson. I have been a member of the South Carolina Brain Injury Leadership Council since 2023.
I sustained my first traumatic brain injury in 1996 when, at the age of 11, I underwent a hemispherectomy and had the entire right side of my brain removed to treat an extremely rare disease that was causing uncontrollable seizures.
I sustained my second brain injury in 2012 and received a second surgery to remove remaining tissue that was once again causing uncontrollable seizures.
Through the brain injury support group, I have learned that while there may not be many, or any, who have experienced exactly what I have, there are others out there who have similar situations.
You aren’t the only one out there.
Through the support group, the newly diagnosed see what to potentially expect down the road on their journeys of recovery.
It provides opportunities to ask other support group members about their firsthand lived experiences, as well as to learn from them.
Being part of the support group also helps you connect with different service providers through survivors’ experiences navigating them.
The support groups offer the opportunity to form close friendships and provide life-long support.
Go check out the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina table. They have a list of all the support groups that they provide across the state
