Buckle-up Baby
Helmet Your Head
ThinkFirst for Kids
Support Groups
  Trigeminal Neuralgia
  Multiple Sclerosis
  Tourette’s Syndrome
Stroke Awareness
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Buckle-up Baby
Four out of five car seats are used incorrectly, usually due to improper car seat selection or installation. To help avoid motor vehicle accident-related brain and spinal cord injuries, the Buckle Up Baby initiative promotes the correct use of child safety seats, boosters and adult lap and shoulder belts. Free classes, educational materials and assistance from nationally certified child passenger safety technicians are available to the public. Since this initiative began in 2001, we have educated almost 3,000 families and helped install more than 2,800 car seats and boosters.

Helmet Your Head
Through community partnerships and educational events, the Helmet Your Head - San Antonio, program promotes the use of protective gear while using bikes, tricycles, skateboards, scooters and roller blades. Our campaign has educated hundreds of families on correct helmet use and has provided more than 1,000 bicycle helmets to low-income children.

ThinkFirst For Kids Initiative
ThinkFirst For Kids helps children develop lifelong safety habits to lessen their risk of sustaining traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, which are the number 1 cause of death and disability among children and young adults. This program provides children with the knowledge and skills to make safe choices by using research-based, grade-specific curriculum. ThinkFirst For Kids teaches children about basic brain and spinal cord anatomy and function, bicycle and pedestrian safety, sports and recreational safety, vehicle safety, violence prevention and water safety. Since 2000, the ThinkFirst message has reached more than 50,000 San Antonio children and teens.

Support Groups
Dealing with the stress and trauma of a neurological disorder can be very trying. Finding comfort through group counseling and conversation can help both patients and family members better manage their experiences.We also refer patients to national support groups that offer additional resources and support in other disorders such as stroke, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

Trigeminal Neuralgia
Neuralgia is a neurological disorder that causes intense facial pain with even the slightest of physical contact to the face. Shaving, applying make-up, a gust of wind – all of these can mean severe facial pain for someone suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia. Because of the intensity of this disorder and the everyday situations that trigger pain, patients find it comforting and therapeutic to share their experiences through the support-group setting.

Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system in which the myelin slowly disintegrates throughout the brain, spinal cord or both. Nerves are affected causing muscular weakness, loss of coordination, and speech and visual disturbances. It occurs mainly in young adults and is thought to be a defect in the immune system that may be caused by genetics or a virus. Our MS support group offers patients comfort and an opportunity to share feelings and experiences.

Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of TS, and as many as one in 100 exhibit milder symptoms. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, although TS can be a chronic condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst symptoms in their early teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood. Therefore, support from peers is critical at various stages in patients’ lives.

Stroke Awareness
Experts report that almost 50% of all strokes are preventable. Knowing the symptoms and acting quickly saves numerous patients from severe brain damage and death each year. Our stroke awareness program, which utilizes American Stroke Association guidelines, is aimed at better educating patients, staff and other medical personnel about the symptoms and steps to take when someone suffers a stroke. Everyone should be educated on the early signs and symptoms of stroke, especially those 55 and older.

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