'Defying the odds': Brain injury survivor helping establish treatment center in Tulsa
Mar 29, 2025
The Brain Injury Recovery Foundation has been fundraising for four years to open up the Defy NeuroRehab center in Tulsa.The non-profit was started by Chris Lieberman and his partner, Kim Hann, after Chris suffered a traumatic br
ain injury in 2016. After being told several times he wasnt going to make it, Liebermans family found an activity-based care center in Dallas, Texas. His family drove there every weekend for treatment. I know from a fact, it's a miracle I survived going through everything that I went through," he said.According to Tulsa County, about 4,000 people in Oklahoma suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) each year.After all the ups and downs he and Kim experienced, they decided they wanted to help others so they wouldn't have to make those long trips too.Hes helping to open up Defy NeuroRehab with his partner Kim, to provide people near Tulsa with the same care that helped him. 'Defying the odds': Brain injury survivor helping establish treatment center in TulsaIts 'Defy,' which stands for 'Don't ever forget yourself,' and defying the odds," said Lieberman. We're getting very close, and that just warms my heart.Kim Hanna says shes seen the ups and downs Chris has gone through and wants to make it as affordable and smooth as possible for others going through a TBI- or anyone that suffers from seizures or cerebral palsy. Really it was during that time, those long drives, that we were like, you know, we need to start a foundation," she said. When you have an injury, especially when it's a sudden injury, it changes your life, and you have no clue how to accommodate for it. We want to be there and be a resource for them.The Brain Injury Recovery Foundation hopes to open Defys doors before summer.All I can wait for, is to get open," said Lieberman. "Start getting clients through the door and changing their lives like mine was.For more updates and information on how to get involved, visit the foundation's website here.Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram SUBSCRIBE on YouTube ...read more read less
