The Jean Turner project 

Make a donation to The Jean Turner Project
(specify Jean Turner in the Message area of the online donation form, or in the "In Honor of" section on the mail in form)

Jean and Samantha had spoken about her joining the Board of Directors of The Healing Exchange BRAIN TRUST but they agreed because of her employment and health issues it was "not the right time." We believe Jean has left us energetic evidence of how we can continue her work. This project proposal has been waiting to become "The Jean Turner Project."

While we serve the general public, women are the largest stakeholders in our organization. As a young woman who survived a brain tumor with mild brain injury as an after effect, Samantha Scolamiero founded this organization because she felt both lay people and professionals did not take her brain tumor seriously during diagnosis and treatment. "I believe this occurred in part because my condition was "invisible" -- I was an otherwise healthy appearing young woman and brain injury is not well understood by those who are not physically affected by it," she says.

Women who present symptoms caused by brain tumors, injuries or other intracranial abnormalities are often first directed to a psychotherapist because their healthcare provider can not easily distinguish between the psychological and physical. Even though the woman herself may be certain there is something physically wrong and may try to explain this to the doctor, personal insights are often overlooked. Women patients report being dismissed as "stressed", "hysterical" or just "fat", when ultimately they have an injury or tumor causing, fatigue, neuralgia, behavioral changes or abnormal hormone production inducing weight gain. What the woman needs is a neurologist or endocrine specialist more than a psychiatrist. T.H.E. BRAIN TRUST aims to create communication channels to provide women with peer advocacy and personal empowerment during diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation plus education for physicians, policy makers, and the public in these areas.

In order to organize such a movement, the leaders and potential leaders must be able to communicate with each other. Disabilities prevent us from driving or travelling long distances. Telephone calls are expensive. Teleconference calls are beyond our means. The Internet is our best resource for organizing.

The women already associated with The Healing Exchange BRAIN TRUST are educators, patient advocates and activists. We communicate with one another over the Internet to invent and carry out solutions to the challenges we face in accessing health care, rehabilitation, social services, and in maintaining balance in personal relationships, family life and work. Already we have gathered a core group of women who share these goals, and have served as a support resource for one another in our personal endeavors to build this movement. These efforts range from an art exhibit of brain injury survivors by an artist which will provide "faces" for our movement to a survey of women with brain tumors by a health educator who will begin gathering the necessary statistics to present to the medical establishment and policy makers. These women would not have been able to meet and support each other if it had not been for the Internet!

Funds raised for The Jean Turner Project will be used to identify low-income disabled women with brain injury who have already proven to be activists in their local communities.   We will provide them with a computer or other device to access the Internet, Internet service and training so that they may communicate with one another via forums we will create and maintain with the purpose of building a more organized movement.

Jean Turner's family will be aware of how every dime is spent and her family of kindred spirit activists will be involved in the project. Thank you for supporting Jean's vision.

Make a donation to The Jean Turner Project
(specify Jean Turner in the Message area of the online donation form, or in the "In Honor of" section on the mail in form)