The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

IN an effort to raise awareness of brain health and brain related injuries, the Pilot Club of Nassau is hosting “Fit at 40 Brain Health Fun Walk”.

The Pilot Club of Nassau is celebrating 40 years as a service organisation in the Bahamas and decided to host a 5K walk this Saturday beginning 6am at Montagu Beach.

A representative of the Pilot Club of Nassau told Tribune Health that the organisation’s focus is on brain health, brain fitness, protection in addition to caring for families in time of need.

“Through the walk we want to raise awareness of brain injury and brain related disorders. We need persons to know how to detect a concussion as a brain injury, identify when an individual is showing signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s, disorders in children like Autism, ADD. We need the public to know how these disorders affects lives,” the Pilot Organisation said.

Part proceeds from the fun walk will be donated to the Mitchell-Ekedede foundation. The foundation’s primary objective is to reduce the incidence of traumatic brain injury and acquired brain injury in the Bahamas through awareness, education, research, prevention, treatment and advocacy. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by trauma such as a blow to the head. It differs from acquired brain injury (ABI), which describes any other brain injury typically brought on by factors such as stroke, tumour, brain aneurysm or oxygen deprivation.

The foundation was created by Matthew Mitchell who teamed up with Dr Magus Ekedede, the neurosurgeon who saved his son’s life, after a tragic accident several years ago.

According to Dr Ekedede, the foundation’s co‐founder and trustee, 624 people sustain a traumatic brain injury in the Bahamas each year, with the 2012 incidents of recorded traumatic brain injury at 47 per cent higher than that recorded in 1997.

“Our club has developed a friendship with Dr Magnus Ekedede over the years, and the Mitchell Ekedede Brain Injury Foundation is a part of that friendship. The Pilot Club of Nassau believes in giving back this foundation; it was selected because it is in accordance with our mantra, and the donation will go directly to a child/children that is in need of brain health care and cannot afford it,” a Pilot Club representative stated.

“We would like the public to support us as we raise awareness for brain injuries and disorders in our country. We are inviting sports groups, persons that have a family member who has or had a brain injury or disorder.”

Registration is $20 and includes a T-shirt. For more information, contact information 424-8903 or e-mail pilotclubofnassau@gmail.com.