Look Closer
Taylor knew something was wrong.
The headaches wouldn’t stop. Brain fog made it hard to think clearly. People around Taylor brushed it off as stress. Said Taylor was doing too much. That rest would make everything better. But Taylor knew something wasn’t right and didn’t feel safe telling their story.
What Taylor needed was for someone to Look Closer.
Give by December 31 and help make sure Taylor isn’t left without answers.
Give to Look CloserThere’s more to the story
You probably know a Taylor.
A sister. A mother. An aunt. A friend. A colleague. Maybe even you.
Someone living with headaches, memory problems, brain fog, and exhaustion no amount of sleep touches. Someone who may no longer feel like themselves. Someone who may not feel safe explaining what’s happened.
Physical intimate partner violence causes brain injury. A blow to the head. A fall after the push. Strangulation that cuts off oxygen and blood to the brain.
And because the violence often stays hidden, the injury does too. Symptoms get mistaken for stress, anxiety, or exhaustion.
How many more survivors, like Taylor, will be overlooked before someone looks closer?
6 MILLION+
More than six million Canadian women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Behind those numbers are people you know and care about.
Change what happens next
Imagine if someone recognized what Taylor was experiencing.
If a healthcare provider knew what questions to ask. Or a first responder understood the effects of an assault might extend beyond visible injuries. Or if the people surrounding survivors knew how to respond safely and without judgment.
This is the change SOAR is working toward.
As Canada’s only organization dedicated exclusively to the intersection of intimate partner violence and brain injury, SOAR brings together three essential pillars:
EXPLORE
Conducting and supporting research that deepens understanding of brain injury caused by physical intimate partner violence and how it affects survivors.
EDUCATE
Evidence-based knowledge, practical training, and resources that help service providers recognize the connection between intimate partner violence and brain injury, and respond effectively.
EMPOWER
Survivor-centred pathways to recognition, connection, and support – shaped by survivors’ experiences, needs, and choices.
Explore. Educate. Empower.
Three pillars. One purpose:
Making sure fewer survivors like Taylor are left struggling without answers.
Your gift makes this work possible.
Give by December 31 to help SOAR make intimate partner violence-caused brain injury harder to miss.
Change what happens nextYour gift helps us look closer
92%
As many as 92% of survivors of intimate partner violence may also experience brain injury.
Your donation helps SOAR:
- Conduct and support research to better understand intimate partner violence-caused brain injury
- Create resources that make recognition and support easier
- Equip more service providers with knowledge, practical training, and resources
- Help more survivors be seen, understood, and supported
Because every Taylor deserves more than being told to rest. They deserve to be taken seriously. They deserve answers. They deserve support.
There’s more to the story.
Taylor knew something was wrong. But the people around Taylor didn’t know what to look for. The connection between physical intimate partner violence and brain injury was missed.
So Taylor’s symptoms went unexplained, and Taylor kept searching for answers.
There’s still so much work to do to help survivors like Taylor.
More research to deepen understanding.
More service providers equipped to recognize the connection.
More tools and survivor-informed pathways to connection and support.
More survivors seen, heard, and supported.
That’s why SOAR keeps looking closer. And why we need you.
Give by December 31 and continue advancing research, knowledge, and support for survivors.
Thank you for helping SOAR make intimate partner violence-caused brain injury harder to miss so survivors, like Taylor, aren’t left to figure it out alone.
Charitable Registration Number: 769669417RR0001