The Powell River Brain Injury Society is committed to providing the best service delivery available to our clients living with acquired brain injury, their families, and their support network. We offer services aimed at understanding and coming to terms with the changes that will take place when you or a loved one is living with a brain injury.
We can connect you to health care professionals, assist with completing important forms, and provide support and attention for family and friends. Our office serves as a drop-in centre where we can help you find answers to most of the questions you may have. We also offer internet access and support with navigating helpful online resources.
Our Mission
To promote prevention, recovery, education, community awareness and life beyond acquired brain injury.
Our Mandate
To help persons, and the people who care about them, who are dealing with acquired brain injury.
Brain Injury Society History
In the early 1990s, public health nurse Penny Mebs received devastating news: her son had sustained an acquired brain injury (ABI) in a car accident. Determined to support his recovery, she began researching everything she could about brain injury—its symptoms, impacts, treatment options, and prognosis. Despite her own medical background and the support of her nurse daughter and daughter-in-law, reliable information was scarce.
Recognizing a broader gap in resources and support, Penny took action. She partnered with Eunice Boser, another mother of a son with ABI, to start a monthly support group in Powell River. For 12 years, Penny facilitated these meetings, providing information, emotional support, and connection to individuals with brain injuries and their caregivers. Her visit to a leading rehab facility in Phoenix further deepened her knowledge, and she became a local expert, representing the Powell River community at provincial and national conferences.
In 2003, Penny secured funding to formalize the initiative, despite facing bureaucratic challenges. That same year, Debbie Dee was hired as the first Program Manager. Debbie guided the group through incorporation, achieving charitable status, and establishing formal programming.
Over the next two decades, she played multiple roles—executive director, counselor, facilitator, fundraiser, and advocate—until her retirement in 2024.
Guided by the motto “Life beyond acquired brain injury”, the Centre continues to grow, supported by dedicated staff, volunteers, and a committed board of directors.
