Clearwater, Florida - Seven years ago, Sarah Kmet was a successful student and athlete until, while practicing baseball, she was struck in the head.

"As I was standing up, I felt really dizzy. They took me to a medical clinic and said I had a fracture of the nose," recalls Kmet.

Along with the physical injuries, Sarah's mother noticed a difference in her daughter's behavior.

Doctors diagnosed Kmet with a traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries are the 3rd leading cause of disability in the United States. In Florida alone, there are more than half million people who suffer from a disability.

A brain injury can have physical and cognitive consequences. Cognitively, a person with a brain injury may have difficulty with attention/concentration, memory, social skills/behavior, judgment and problem-solving. It not only affects the individual with the injury, but can impact their family, their employment and education. A person can receive initial speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, but ultimately the effects of a brain injury are long-term, especially for more severe injuries.

Twice a week at HealthSouth in Largo, speech pathologist Nikki Smith runs Kmet through mental calisthenics to help with the symptoms. The program is known as Interactive Metronome Therapy. It is a computer program that uses sound and rhythm to strengthen motor control, increase patient's memory and the ability to multitask.

Sarah Kmet has been using the program for more than a year.

"They have to monitor their actions to self regulate and hopefully you see that, in the real world, at home or at a job, they will be able to control their actions a little bit better," said Nikki Smith.

Along with therapy there are support groups. The Brain Injury Support Group meets the first Wednesday of every month at HealthSouth in Largo to offer support, ideas and resources for individuals with brain injuries and their caregivers. It is open to the general public. The group is comprised of people that have suffered work-related brain injuries, sports-related brain injuries, strokes, automobile-related brain injuries and various other incidents resulting in brain injury. Presently, their ages range from their early twenties to late adulthood, but can vary.

Based on information found on the Brain Injury Association of Florida website (www.biaf.org).

More information about brain injuries can be found at www.biausa.org and www.biaf.org.

Sarah Kmet and her family will be among the families supporting awareness for traumatic brain injuries at an event this Saturday. A kids safety fair will be held before the Clearwater Threshers game. Teens going to the game can learn about everything from bike safety to sports safety. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and the game starts at 6:30. There will also be fireworks at the end of the game.