Raising balloons and brain injury awareness

Organiser of the Light Up the Heavens event Te Rina Ruru (front) with her family Corina Ruru, Cassey Thompson, Moana Petre, Alana Ruru and Ray Ruru. Photo / Ben Fraser

Brian injury awareness is being raised by a Rotorua family who know personally the impact it can have.

The Ruru family have organised the Light Up the Heavens - Brain Injury Awareness tomorrow night at the Rotorua Lakefront. They are encouraging people to wear green and bring a balloon or lantern to be released at 8pm.

Te Rina Ruru said it was an annual event in the United States and they were bringing it to New Zealand as awareness days were marked at different times throughout the country because of a lack of a national body.

Her brother Ray has traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a car crash eight years ago, and her aunty has acute brain injury (ABI) after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

"We recognise there is a gap in the system.

"You not only have the survivors but it impacts on the whole family and if there is no support for the family, that survivor is lost," Miss Ruru said.

"We call it the ripple effect and we are trying to establish a support network here."

Her mother Corina Ruru said they looked forward to meeting new people tomorrow night who have had similar experiences.

"As a family you feel isolated. We know there are other families out there going through the same thing and we want to connect with them, especially those who are looking after the survivors," Mrs Ruru said.

" ... It's hard work, just going to the pictures is difficult, you have to ring in advance and plead [for space] it's a constant battle.

"Eight years on and we still find it hard, we want to say to others, 'We're here for you'."

Miss Ruru has set up a Facebook page Light up the Heavens - Brain Injury Awareness for tomorrow night's event and had also set up a closed group, NZ Brain Injury Support Network for brain injury survivors and their loved ones.