Virginia Beach will host the 6th annual International Brain Injury Clubhouse Association’s (IBICA) conference on the weekend of September 16th and 17th at the Fulton Bank’s regional office at 4429 Bonney Road. The conference is being run by Mary Buckley Foundation’s Beacon House.
The Beacon House was started by Matt Buckley, whose wife, Mary, suffered from a serious brain injury in 2004 and died in 2006 while still in a vegetative state. She received her traumatic brain injury during a surgery in which her heart stopped and her brain was starved of oxygen for 15 minutes. In response to his wife’s tragedy, Matt set up the non-profit to help those with brain injuries and their families who needed support and assistance.
The Beacon House offers a number of programs, events, and activities both for those living with a brain injury and for their families. In addition, the non-profit reaches out to schools and communities to educate the public on brain injury issues.