Grandpa’s Brain Is Broken
Written and Illustrated By Steve Love
Grandpa’s Brain Is Broken is for all the families who live each
day with a family member living life with a Brain Injury. Most of
all, it is for my Grandson Asher, who I love very much and who
brings me much joy in life.
The Grandpa in this story Steve Love.
Note: the painting done by my grandson Asher was done by
Asher.
Contact information to have Steve Love to speak to your
group or Association.
Steve Love
27 East Myrtle Street
Canton, Illinois 61520
309-647-1519
Today I am going to see my Grandpa. I love it when I go
to his house. We have so much fun together.
My Grandpa is like most Grandpas. We watch TV
together. He always has the movies I love.
I help him in the garden and watering Grandma’s plants.
Sometimes I spray Grandpa with the hose and get him all
wet.
My Grandpa always takes time to play with me.
We have so much fun just being together.
My Grandpa is different from my friends’ Grandpas. My
Grandpa has a broken brain. You would not know it by
looking at him. He looks like everyone else.
Sometime he just acts a little funny. I love it when his
head moves back and forth very fast. I try to do it, but
Grandpa does it better. Grandma says he can not help
doing it because his brain is broken.
His left eye does not work right because his brain is
broken. My Grandpa has to wear an eye patch on his left
eye. With out it he sees two of everything. He laughs
and asks me how I would like seeing two of my sisters all
the time.
He does not like it when people call him a pirate because
he wears an eye patch. Do not tell him, but he does look
like a pirate when he is wearing his eye patch.
My Grandpa was in a car accident before I was born. He
got his brain injury in the accident. He has what they call
a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI, but he just tells me he has
a broken brain.
My Grandpa is smart. Some people think because he has
a broken brain he is no longer smart.
They are just wrong.
My Grandpa helps me do lots of things. He reads me
books. He helps me with my school work. He knows so
much even with his broken brain.
My grandpa is an artist. He paints. He painted a picture
of me.
Sometimes he lets me paint. He tells me that the part of
his brain that helps him paint is not broken.
Alice? Andrew?
Al? Alfred? Adam?
No you are
Asher!
My Grandpa forgets words at times. He has a problem
remembering names, but he never forgets my name. My
Grandpa says he does that because his brain is broken.
Our brains help us do so much every day. Grandpa tells
me we only have one brain and we need to protect it.
He does not want me to ever get a broken brain. That’s
why I always buckle-up when I am in a car.
When I ride my bike I use a helmet. You should always
wear a helmet when you are biking, rollerblading,
skateboarding, sledding, and even riding a horse.
My Grandpa helps others know about brain injuries. He
does not want anyone else to get a broken brain.
My Grandpa’s brain is broken, but I love him.
He is my Grandpa.
Note for Parents and Teachers:
My Grandpa was in a car accident on 9-11-2004. He got a
Traumatic Brain Injury or a TBI in the accident. Grandpa will tell
you that no two brain injuries are the same. For more
information about Brain Injury please look up the following
websites
Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) www.biausa.org
Brain Injury Association of Illinois www.biail.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury
My Grandpa will tell you that the right side of the brain is a vital
part of an artist’s life and that we need to exercise the right
sides of our brain. Here are some websites that will explain
that
The American Art Therapy Association www.arttherapy.org
The Illinois Art Therapy Association www.illinoisarttherapy.org
Illinois Arts Council http://www.arts.illinois.gov
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