Far North musicians unite for brain injury fundraiser

Far North musician and former Op Shop frontman Jason Kerrison will headline the Brain Aid at the Barn fundraiser in Taipa on March 30.

Music fans are in for a treat, and a chance to raise funds for a worthy cause, when Brain Aid at the Barn showcases a line-up of top Far North talent in Taipa at the end of the month.

The Brain Injury Association Northland has organised the event as a major fundraiser on Sunday, March 30, at The Barn, with a top line-up of acts on show.

The night will kick off at 2pm and includes former Op Shop frontman and solo star Jason Kerrison, Kere Tatana, Carla Werner, The Bar Owls, Fickle Mistress and Maurice Lambert and Band.

March is Brain Awareness Month.

Brain injury survivor Boyd Goodwin was involved in organising the night and said it stemmed from a conversation with another Brain Injury Northland group member.

“She said she knew of a great musician - Jason Kerrison - who would play a gig at a cafe for free to raise funds for the association. I thought that’s great, but it might not raise a big amount, so we thought let’s expand it and get a big line-up of top local musicians together,” Goodwin said.

Carla Werner is among the Far North musicians performing at the Brain Injury Northland fundraiser - Brain Aid at the Barn - at the end of the month.

“It was a real joint effort between the group to get it together and I’ve been amazed that everybody we asked said yes.”

He said it had been heartening to have such a positive response, as it was common for those suffering with a brain injury to face rejection as many people did not understand how it affected people.

“On the outside we can look normal, but the brain injury means that there’s something that can be very wrong on the inside. Being with the Brain Injury Association is great though. We have monthly meetings and it’s wonderful to have those meetings with so many other people who just get it. Get what it’s like to have a brain injury, and really it’s only if you have one, or know somebody well with one, that you can get it.

“So it’s been so nice to have all those people, from the artists - and they are all very talented musicians as well as wonderful people - the butcher, the local company that will clean the toilets for free, so we don’t have to, the hāngī man, John Smart from The Barn, everybody has been amazing.”

Goodwin said living with a brain injury was a “tough gig” due to the fact there was little understanding among the general public about it and its impact.

“Something like 95% of relationships fail after a person gets a brain injury, and that’s huge. It’s hard enough to go through a break up at the best of times, but with a brain injury it’s massive.’’

He said the work of the association was crucial to people like him to help them through their journey.

Brain Injury Association Northland liaison officer Vikki Herdman said the association was always desperate for funds to continue its vital services and often ran fundraising events to help out and keep the operation going.

And with demand for its services growing by more than 10% last year, every dollar helped.

Herdman said Brain Aid at the Barn provided a diverse line-up to cover most tastes and there would also be fun events and entertainment, including the association’s brain injury goggles - a hands-on awareness tool designed to help participants understand the potentially debilitating effects of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body.

She said last year the Northland association had 100 new referrals, as well as 60 people re-engaging with the service.

“We’ve now got about 1100 people on the books so we’ve seen a big increase in demand for our services and we need to raise the funds to help them all.’’

Herdman said there were a number of reasons behind the rise in demand - more people getting brain injuries, more awareness of the association’s services and people not getting the support they needed from other services.

“People are falling through the gaps and that’s where we can step in to give them the support and information to get the help from the appropriate services. We also provide help and information to their families so they can better understand what their loved one is going through.’’

She said TBI is known as the silent epidemic because many people with a brain injury did not display any physical signs of anything being wrong.

“So somebody would have a major brain injury that causes them all kinds of problems, but to the person looking on, they appear to look normal so their behaviour induced by the injury is not recognised for what it is.’’

Brain Aid at the Barn is on Sunday, March 30, at The Barn, in Taipa. Admission is $10 on the door and the event is drug, alcohol and dog free. Contact Brain Injury Association Northland for more information on 09 459 5013.

■ What is traumatic brain injury?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) happens when a sudden, external, physical assault damages the brain. It is one of the most common causes of disability and death in adults. TBI is a broad term that describes a vast array of injuries that happen to the brain. The damage can be focal (confined to one area of the brain) or diffuse (happens in more than one area of the brain). The severity of a brain injury can range from a mild concussion to a severe injury that results in coma or even death.