Meet Barbara Toorens

The MSKTC resources are really valuable and helpful. I wish I had known about MSKTC when I was going through my accident. If you haven’t had a brain injury, it is really hard to understand what exactly you are going through, and it is even harder to explain what your experience is in layman’s terms. MSKTC resources are written in plain language that are easy to understand and resonate with people with TBI.

- Barbara Toorens

Barbara Toorens

TBI Ambassador

Role

Individual with TBI

Location

Washington

Fun Facts

Barbara is an avid traveler who is passionate about the environment and social impact. Working for Microsoft, Barbara has the opportunity to advocate for sustainable and accessible products. When Barbara is not working, she can be found hiking, paddle boarding, and doing anything to stay active with her rescue dog.

Barbara’s Journey with TBI

Back in 2015, Barbara sustained a TBI after a series of concussions while snowboarding in France. After a 10-month journey filled with misdiagnoses, she was able to receive proper treatment and rehabilitation. Her lived experience with TBI taught her the importance of practicing self-care, using a holistic approach to caring for the whole person. Over the years, Barbara has learned that a TBI can be a lifelong condition that can be managed, and living a full life with meaningful work is possible. With support from family and community, she overcame her TBI. She started her own company and joined Microsoft as a senior business program manager. Since her accidents, Barbara has been actively involved in the TBI community to provide support to those who are going through similar journeys.

Why does Barbara want to be an MSKTC ambassador?

Since her first-hand experience with TBI, she wishes she had known about MSKTC resources when she was going through her experience. People don’t understand or talk about these invisible injuries enough. Being an ambassador, she can share MSKTC resources to educate others and help break down these barriers.

What has Barbara done as an ambassador?

As a MSKTC ambassador, Barbara has provided input on MSKTC resources and guidance on how effectively disseminate MSKTC resources. She has also shared the MSKTC TBI resources with friends and co-workers to help them understand their condition and get proper care. She also has plans to share MSKTC resources with many others through her channels such as Western Washington University and the American University of Paris where she is on the advisory board. Barbara is committed to share MSKTC resources whenever opportunities present themselves to support the TBI community.