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Brain injury survivor set for journey of hope – Metro US

Brain injury survivor set for journey of hope

Five years after a neurological assault was forecast to render him helpless, Ian Young is hitting the rails to tell why the mind is a terrible thing to waste.

The Brain Injury Association has chosen Young for an historic cross-country railway journey, on which he’ll share his story of hope and urge Canadians to protect their grey matter.

“With recovery comes responsibility — perhaps in an odd way, I was chosen,” Young said. “Finding a quality of life and letting others know it is possible in their darkest hours is so inspirational for me.”

In 2004, he developed a rare neurological disorder and was given three months to live, and lost the ability to perform basic human functions. “I took the advice of fellow survivors over white-clad clairvoyants,” Young said.

Through rehab and determination, he is today living a normal life, and a national figurehead for brain injury awareness.

Young’s journey begins Tuesday from Vancouver. He hopes to inspire change of regulations in professional sports, in which concussions and cerebral injuries are common, and preventable.