2025 Spring Edition

Consumer spotlight: Mauricio Blandino

At the age of 68, I became a brain injury survivor.

For the past 13 years, I have been living a new life and learning how to compensating for a wide variety of cognitive and physical deficits.

From the start of my recovery, with the aid from specialty doctors, I had to attend various types of therapies to begin the healing process, among them physical therapy, vestibular therapy, vision therapy, and the much needed help from a Neuropsychologist.

The long and slow journey of my recovery caused me to question the overall recovery that was to be achieved.  I began to understand that recovery comes from learning about the deficits and compensating for them as much as possible.

Outside of the standard of treatments others have suggested exercise, yoga, and meditation on a daily basis.

After these activates were added to my life I have had dramatic improvements in handling the deficits with improvements in every aspect of my life.

Even though I understand I won’t be able to fully regain some of the lost abilities. I continue to gain newfound physical ability, inner peace, strong friendships, a louder voice that speaks for me and for others, and a great sense of humor.

I understand that a brain injury is a chronic health condition that I will need to pay attention to and have to live with for the rest of my life. With the self-care skills I’ve learned and continued medical care, I look forward to many rewarding years ahead.

Mauricio Blandino
Disability Advocate.
Chairperson of the NYC Chapter of the Brain Injury Association of New York State.
Achilles International Athlete with a disability. 22 time marathon finisher and triathlete.