Cross-Canada runner passes through Northumberland

Man raises awareness about brain injuries

Jul 21, 2011 - 04:30 AM

KAREN LONGWELL

GRAFTON -- Runner David McGuire, 38, may have trouble remembering the sights of Northumberland County but it is nothing personal.
Mr. McGuire ran through the county on July 18 and 19 as part of a cross Canada, 42 kilometre a day, trek to raise awareness about brain injuries. He suffered a brain injury in 2005, which changed his personality, he said. He lost friends and he has trouble with short term memory, Mr. McGuire said on the road near Grafton on July 19. He can remember certain things but his memory storage doesn't work as it did before the injury.
"It is like a library where everything is out of order," said Mr. McGuire adding he may not remember this interview or sights from the run.
A Run to Remember started in St. John's, Newfoundland on April 1. Mr. McGuire had hoped to finish in Vancouver in October but he has been slowed by injuries and a bout of food poisoning. The run is sponsored by Brain Trust Canada, a non-governmental organization with a mandate to aid in the prevention of brain injury.
The purpose of the run is to get people thinking about brain injuries, he said.
"The big thing is, it sucks," he said. Friends became frustrated when he didn't remember things and getting back to work was difficult.
"I want to be a contributing member of society," he said. Mr. McGuire was watching television one day in 2005 when something happened - doctors are not sure if he had a stroke, hit his head or had a brain bleed. A portion of his skull had to be removed temporarily to allow for swelling, he said.
Mr. McGuire said the local brain injury office recently closed near his home. He thought about one client in particular who could not speak but had a certain "fire" in his eyes. The loss of services the office provided would be particularly detrimental to this client, said Mr. McGuire. He thought about all the people who couldn't speak for themselves and decided to do something about it.
"I couldn't feel sorry for myself anymore," he said. "I thought of the amount of people who don't have a voice."
Mr. McGuire's wife Mandy Yip and run manager Melissa Wild from Brain Trust Canada support the run. On the road, Ms. Yip or Ms. Wild follow in a vehicle. The heat wave has slowed the run but Ms. Wild said Mr. McGuire should be in Oshawa on Thursday and Toronto on Friday.
Mr. McGuire's story is one of millions in Canada including many national heroes who have or are currently suffering the long-term effects of concussion like Sidney Crosby and Matt Dunigan, said Ms. Wild. They are speaking out about concussion, brain injury, and their personal stories but more people need to know about brain injury and how to prevent it - 90 per cent of brain injuries are preventable by simply wearing a helmet, she said. Such a simple act - putting on a helmet - with such a drastic and wide spread impact, said Ms. Wild.
For more information on A Run to Remember, see the website at www.runtoremember.com.

Read Online: http://www.northumberlandnews.com/news/article/181806