Monica Vuleka Mayer is the reigning Miss North Carolina Teen America, and if you think that means she’s just another pretty face, think again. This smart, driven, young woman also happens to suffer from a brain injury, and she’s launched a national campaign to raise money for the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA).
Ms. Mayer recently graduated from Bandys High School in Catawba, NC, where she was a star soccer player. Sadly, the multiple concussions she sustained from her sport left her with a brain injury. Now, she’s using the platform her title affords her to speak to people around the country at the BIAA’s Walk and Roll-a-thon events.
She has also started a campaign she calls Crowning Hope, with the goal of raising $10,000 for BIAA. She told the Mooresville Tribune, “Since over 3 million people each year acquire a brain injury, many in service to our country, or through car accidents, sports, falls, etc., the mission of BIAA is critically important.” Her Crowning Hope campaign strives to help people understand the “pain, fear, and devastation a brain injury can cause.”
Ms. Mayer takes her platform to the national stage on June 30 when she competes in Virginia Beach, VA for the title of Miss Teen America, where she is judged in part on community service and interaction, extra-curricular involvement, and leadership.
Regardless of whether she wins the title, Ms. Mayer’s efforts to raise awareness about the effects and prevalence of brain injury should be commended. Brain injury is referred to as the silent epidemic because its symptoms are wide-ranging and treatment can be difficult. Some brain injuries heal completely, and some leave a victim with long-term symptoms like fatigue, confusion, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. Our Virginia and North Carolina attorneys have helped clients receive the compensation they deserve as a result of traumatic brain injuries caused by car accidents, falls, and workplace incidents. For more information about legal options following a traumatic brain injury, read our firm’s in-depth guide.
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