Myths and Facts

We started the page “Myths and Facts” because of all the incorrect story's or misunderstandings about our daughters accident and incorrect belief’s about brain injuries. A Myth is a incorrect statement.

Myth.... Mya Joy's Fall was bad. Mya Joy was high off the ground.

Fact....Mya Joy's fall was minor. Mya was watching her sister play tennis. Our family was leaving the courts when Mya went to kick a ball and slipped backwards. The courts are across the street from the beach she could have slipped from sand.  The fall was from her feet. It appeared she landed more on her but/back and not the head. Mya got up and started playing again. Mya never cried.

Myth....The fall caused Mya's injury.

Fact....Mya had Ponytails in her Hair. The ponytails were on the BACK of her head (not pigtails). Mya had 2 different types of Hair Accessory's in her hair.  1 Ponytail holder caused NO DAMAGE, no bruise, no internal bleeding, no skull fracture. However the SOLID PLASTIC cube shape ponytail holder caused a 2 cm skull fracture resulting in the operation.

Myth.....Mya Joy's Ponytail holder was in beaded into her Head.

Fact.....When Mya Joy's accident happened the holder was NOT EMBEDDED. The only sign that we could see was a small 2 cm cut on the back of her head close to the Hello Kitty Cube shape holder.

Myth.... Any ponytail holder could have caused damage to Mya Joy's head.

Fact.... Mya Joy had 2 ponytails on the back of the head (2 different ponytail holders). 1 hair accessory caused NO DAMAGE to her skull, NO DAMAGE to her brain, not even a bruise. However the HARD SOLID PLASTIC CUBE SHAPE PONYTAIL HOLDER CAUSED THE 2 CM SKULL FRACTURE.

Myth.... Mya Joy's accident was freak, 1 in a million type of accident. 

Fact.....Too many daughters have been hurt from hair accessories. Our daughter is not the only little girl.

Myth.....All brain injuries are the same.

Fact.....Each brain injury is different... No two brain injuries are alike. A brain injury is not like any other injury or disease. The brain is very complex. Recovery from a brain injury depends on what areas of the brain are injured and how severely. Damage is also caused by swelling and bruising of the brain, shearing and tearing of nerve fibers, reduced supply of oxygen, death of brain cells, and blood clots.

Myth.....Physical recovery is a sign that the brain has healed.

Fact......Cognitive recovery is different than physical recovery. Cognition is a term experts use to describe the "thinking" skills or abilities like reasoning, memory, and attention. Changes in learning, memory and behavior are the most common long-term effects of brain injuries among youth. It is harder for people to understand that a child who looks "okay" physical may still have a disability. Recovery of physical abilities like walking and speaking does not mean that the brain has healed. Broken bones and cuts heal with the growth of new skin and bone, but the brain does not grow new neuron or brain cells.

Myth....You can see a brain injury.

Fact.... Mya's Brain Injury is not visibly. A brain injury is not something you can see. It is not like you have a broken leg and a cast. When our daughter was in the hospital and her head was wrapped up and you could see her staples in her head you could understand what our family was and is going through. Now some have a hard time understanding what our family is going through.

Myth... A brain injury heals with time.

Fact.... It takes longer for all the effects of a brain injury to show up in children. The brain of a child still is developing through adolescence. All the effects of a brain injury may not be known right away. Children are more active, school work becomes more complex, and responsibilities increase over time. The brain of a growing child is steadily challenged to do more complex thinking, communication and learning.  Over time, new difficulties may appear that are directly related to the brain injury. It is harder for people to connect an earlier brain injury with later difficulties with behavior and learning. For the child who has a brain injury, time reveals instead of heals.

Myth....Younger children recovery better than older children.

Fact....The younger the child is when injured, the less developed is the brain. It takes longer to see the effects of a brain injury in a young child because they are still developing basic skills like language, arithmetic, reading, and writing. They are still learning basic social skills and rely on adults for supervision and guidance. Younger children are at greater risk for difficulties in the future because early brain development has been interrupted. They also have less life experience and skills to help them adjust to changes caused by an injury.

Myth...A mild brain injury has no consequences.

Fact..... Even a mild brain injury can affect brain functioning. Children who have mild brain injuries do not lose consciousness or do very briefly, they may be confused, but are still alert. Many are examined and released from the emergency department or treated in the doctor's office. Even when a neurological examination is normal, a mild brain injury can cause changes in learning and behavior that show up later at home or in school.

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