About Us
Our Mission
HeadStrong builds communities around young people living with brain injury to support them as they recover and rebuild their lives.
Our Story
In the spring of 2005, an 11-year-old boy named Dominick was hit by a speeding car as he crossed the street. This moment changed Dom’s life forever. The accident left Dom with a severe traumatic brain injury. Dom’s road to recovery was long and rocky, but his mother Desiree was by his side every step of the way.
After Dom was released from months of intensive inpatient medical care, his life was radically changed at home and school. The difficulties that come with brain injury were overwhelming for friends, family, and his community. He was clear about the problem: “I’ve lost everything. I can’t be this brain-injured kid. I’ll do anything to get better.” Losing his identity as a leader, a student, a basketball player, and a friend was devastating. Giving up was not an option. Dom and Desiree worked together to figure out how to rebuild life in a new way. This journey began with finding the other families who were living with brain injury.
In the Spring of 2006, Desiree began gathering other parents whose children were injured for dinners. Together they would work as a team to overcome the challenges faced by their children — all survivors of TBI.
Over time, this included the Harborview Tote outreach program, regular social outings, and online training programs for caregivers and rehabilitation specialists. When partners in the community took note of the impact and invested in the vision, HeadStrong was born.
About Our Name
As Dominick lay on life support at Harborview Medical Center, friends, family, and schoolmates gathered to offer support.
The students at Dom's middle school wanted to wear reminder bands for him. Some of the mothers stood in the visiting area trying to come up with a message for the bands. “We Love You Dom”, “Get Well Dom”…Dominick’s older brother Jed overheard them and said, “It’s Dom, it’s HeadStrong.”
The name stuck and serves as a sign of solidarity for survivors of brain injuries.
