Brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in people under the age 45. March is also recognized as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Virginia.

A local survivor shares her story of coping after a severe head injury. Her daily walk is now therapeutic, but for Anne Thomas, it's taken a while to get back to this point.

Four years ago, she fell, hit the back of her head and suffered a brain injury.

"My perception was that I gently hit the ground, hit my head and went kabang," says Thomas.

Doctors kept her in the hospital overnight and told her she'd be back to normal in a week. However, that didn't happen.

She suffered long-term damage that caused her trouble concentrating, hallucinations and depression as well as affecting her relationship with her husband.

"That was hard on him, it really was, because I was doing a lot of crying. Yes, that was really hard," says Thomas.

Years later, Thomas still feels the physical effects, sometimes losing words.

"They come so quick I can't even hold on to them sometimes. It makes me feel like people think I'm a little batty," laughs Thomas.

Thomas says there's good reason to know the consequences of such head injuries.

"The annual incidence of a brain injury is five times greater than HIV/AIDS, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, all combined," says Heather Long, the Brain Injury Association of Virginia.

Still reeling from her fall four years ago, Thomas says, as life moves along, she often tries to find comfort in laughter. She says she's a big believer in the healing power of laughter.

Officials from the Brain Injury Association of Virginia say, even if you fall and you feel okay, it's important to see a doctor immediately.