Survivor Stories: Cazoshay Marie’s Commitment to Making Brain Injury Information Accessible
It was an ordinary day in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 19, 2017. Cazoshay Marie, a recent transplant to the city from Anchorage, Alaska, was attending a superhero convention at the Phoenix Science Center, excited to show off her Poison Ivy costume and meet up with other superhero comic and movie fans.
As she crossed the street to the event in a pedestrian crosswalk, a car struck her at 48 miles per hour. The driver, who claimed he hadn’t seen her despite other cars being stopped, never got out to help. Although Cazoshay is lighthearted about it now — “If there’s one silver lining to the accident, I will say it’s that I had a great outfit on!” she says, smiling — she laid there until a person who witnessed the accident finally came to her aid.
From Independence to Uncertainty
Prior to the accident, Cazoshay was a fiercely independent single mom and wellness professional who taught yoga and meditation classes. “I was a go-getter,” she says. “I was used to being the person that does things, and all of a sudden I needed people to help me with things.”
That independence would be tested in the months to follow. The initial medical response to her injury set a concerning tone that influences her brain injury advocacy work today. Despite experiencing signs of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Cazoshay wasn’t initially diagnosed with a brain injury. “My situation was just kind of minimized,” she says. “I told them I was dizzy, that I was experiencing intense headaches, and I didn’t get any answers. Nothing was said to me about what my symptoms might mean, or what my future would look like.” Within 24 hours of the accident, she had been discharged with little guidance beyond being told to follow up with her primary care doctor.
“My Life Did a Total 180.”
What followed was a dramatic shift in Cazoshay’s daily life. Her brother had to carry her around the house to accomplish basic tasks. Her mother relocated from Alaska for a year to help care for her. Her son, just shy of his 11th birthday, also found himself in a caregiver role. “I couldn’t cook, I couldn’t drive,” she says. “My brain injury happened to me—but it really happened to my whole family, too.”
It wasn’t until Cazoshay was referred to physical therapy by a Phoenix sports medicine and concussion center months after her initial injury that she started getting answers about her condition.
That was eight years ago, and while many of her symptoms have improved, Cazoshay continues to deal with dizziness, vision problems, and migraines. Any activity involving her eyes exacerbates her symptoms, including computer work and reading.
Building a Platform for Change
The lack of an initial brain injury diagnosis—along with the challenges of finding information related to her condition and how it might affect her life—is one of the primary catalysts for Cazoshay’s advocacy work. “I just felt like I didn’t want anyone else to have to endure the things that I went through,” she says. “Brain injury just isn’t something that’s commonly discussed, and I want to make the invisible visible.”
Her commitment to visibility spans multiple fronts. Cazoshay is an accomplished speaker, sharing her story and information about brain injury through the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), as well as through her local affiliate, the Brain Injury Association of Arizona.
A large part of her advocacy includes speaking about brain injury beyond the brain injury community. “Inclusion and accessibility are the big themes in my life,” Cazoshay says. “Many people with disabilities quickly learn that many of the systems in place in society are a hindrance for us, so it’s important that we share our experience in navigating the complexities of living with a disability. If we can share our stories, there’s a better chance we’ll affect change.”
For this reason, she’s also a Traumatic Brain Injury Ambassador for the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center and a member of the BIAA Advisory Council, where she regularly contributes her insights and expertise to initiatives that raise awareness of brain injury. And, having rediscovered her creativity through arts as a vital part of her recovery journey, she’s also organized a virtual poetry event for survivors, called “In Our Own Words,” in partnership with the Resilient Roots Support Group, a virtual support group she formed specifically for parents and caregivers living with brain injury.
“Be Gentle With Yourself”
When asked about advice she has for other brain injury survivors, Cazoshay offers hard-won wisdom. “Be gentle with yourself,” she says. “I’m a ‘recovering perfectionist’ who had to learn that brain injury recovery doesn’t follow a linear path. There are going to be good days, bad days, forward steps, backward steps, all of it. And, that’s totally okay. None of it is a failure on your part.”
She also emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy and trusting your own experience. “When you’re going through anything medically, you’re getting so many different opinions—from doctors, strangers, your family,” she says. “Remember, you’re the only person who’s actually living your day-to-day life. You’re the expert in your experience.”
Cazoshay repeats a mantra that’s often said in the brain injury community: “If you’ve seen one brain injury, you’ve seen one brain injury,” she says. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach—with recovery, or support.”
Learn more about Cazoshay Marie’s advocacy work (including information on her Resilient Roots support group) by heading to her website: didwithcazoshay.com