CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A mother who lost her daughter to a traumatic brain injury is making sure other families have the support they need.
Letitia Council said in August 2019, life took a devastating turn for her and the then-recent graduate of Western Branch High School, Ja'Nasia Miller.
“From my daughter just asking to use the car to hang out with her friends, and then boom! Our lives changed suddenly within the blink of an eye," said Council.
Council said Nasia, as her family calls her, was badly hurt in a car crash on I-664. Medics rushed her to the hospital, where Council found her daughter unconscious and on a ventilator.
"I didn’t know what a brain injury was, didn’t know what a TBI was," said Council. "I do remember the doctor telling me this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Please get plenty of rest."
Ja'Nasia suffered a traumatic brain injury, which affects millions of Americans each year, according to the CDC.
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls it a leading cause of death for children and young adults in the United States
After surgery on her brain, Council says her daughter spent months in the hospital and rehab before coming home, where the family came together to care for her until Ja'Nasia passed away in 2021.
“We had great support, but we know every family does not have that support," said Council.
Now, Council is making sure her daughter's spirit of helping others lives on through her non-profit organization, the Nasia Foundation.
"She would do anything for anybody. She had a heart of gold," Council said. She says her daughter, Ja'Nasia Miller, loved her family and friends.
The organization raises awareness for TBIs and provides "support, resources and funding to assist families in their journey towards recovery and rehabilitation." She even sends care packages to give families an extra boost.
"Every caregiver needs a caregiver," said Council.
Council launched the foundation in 2020 after her daughter returned home from rehab, and she welcomes volunteers. You can learn more about the organization and its story on the Nasia Foundation website or on social media.