Encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, can happen to anyone, any time, anywhere, at any age, killing roughly 20% of its victims. Encephalitis effects about 20,000 Americans annually.
Those who survive its assault are often left with permanent brain injury, requiring expert medical treatment and skilled professional rehabilitation.
Survivors’ residual symptoms are varied, life-altering, and costly, leaving them and their loved ones changed forever.
THE AFTERMATH OF ENCEPHALITIS
Encephalitis survivors and caregivers report these pervasive issues:
– Approximately 45% never return to work*
– Approximately 60% experience compromised multi-tasking abilities*
– Approximately 50% struggle with attention deficit*
– 60% face problem-solving difficulties*
– More than 60% incur challenges with relationships or being in social settings*
– More than $2 billion annually in costs for the treatment of encephalitis in hospitals alone, leaving families financially ruined (does not include treatment or rehabilitation following the acute phase)**
* I’m Not the Me I Remember: Fighting Encephalitis, Encephalitis Global and Inspire.com,Feb 2012.
** Burden of Encephalitis-Associated Hospitalizations in the United States, 1998-2010; Neil M. Vora, Robert C. Holman, Jason M. Mehal, et al., Jan 2014.