FAQs

Who is Mary Buckley?

Mary Buckley, a loving mother of four boys, was a strong spiritual person. She was a social worker who worked with disabled infants and toddlers. Mary died in October 2006 after suffering massive brain damage. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and was always laughing and smiling. As reflected in our logo depicting a lighthouse and a seagull, Mary loved the beach and ocean and that is where you would find her on summer days. An avid Bruce Springsteen fan, she attended 11 Springsteen concerts in 2003.

What is the Mary Buckley Foundation?

The Mary Buckley Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping survivors of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The foundation focuses on independent living skills, community re-integration and workforce re-entry. It is not a medical treatment facility.

What is Beacon House?

Beacon House, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a community-based clubhouse program where people living with the effects of brain injury can learn or regain skills necessary to live a productive life.

What is No Limits?

No Limits, located in Onancock on Virginia's Eastern Shore, is a community-based day program designed to help people living with the effects of brain injury regain skills required to live a productive life.

What is friendAble?

friendAble is a social club that provides a safe fun place where persons with disabilities can come to visit with old friends and meet new ones. Held at Beacon House, members share laughter and camaraderie as they participate in such activities as Karaoke, board games and music.

What is a brain injury?

A brain injury is an insult to the brain, which may result in an impairment of cognitive abilities, physical functioning and/or disturbances of behavioral or emotional functioning.

How do people injure their brains?

Brain injuries can happen from an external blow to the head as a result of motor vehicle accidents, falls,
sports/recreation, assaults/violence, brain tumors, or Shaken Baby Syndrome. Also, certain illnesses such
as stroke/cerebral vascular accident (CVA), and anoxia (lack of oxygen) may also injure the brain.

Does the skull have to break open for an injury to be considered a brain injury?

No! There are both open head injuries and closed head injuries, and even if the skull does not break open, the brain can still have damage or bleeding. For example, a concussion is a mild brain injury and may or may not have lasting consequences.

Who can have a brain injury?

Anyone can injure his or her brain at any time. It is very important to prevent brain injury when possible by wearing seatbelts in cars, buckling small children correctly into car seats, wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle and playing sports, never shaking a baby, and never drinking and driving.

Source: Brain Injury Association of Virginia