The book details the trials and tribulations she and her family went through after her 17-year-old son Daniel sustained a severe brain injury in a car accident.

"It's primarily a mother's account of the time after the accident," she said. "I found that there were a lot of books out there that gave the survivor's perspective on recovering from a brain injury, but there wasn't much that discussed the family's side of the story."

Because Daniel's brain injury left him with memory difficulties, Crooked Smile also serves as a memoir through which Daniel can witness the long road he has travelled throughout his recovery.

"Because he suffered post-traumatic amnesia for eight months after the accident, Daniel had no idea how much his friends helped and couldn't appreciate how far he had come," Cohen said. "So you could say I wrote the story for him."

REMARKABLE RECOVERY

In the 11 years since the accident, Daniel has made a remarkable recovery. He was wheelchair-bound, did not know his own name, did not recognize his family and had lost the ability to speak. The prognosis for his future was grim, with doctors suggesting he may never even be able to sit up properly in a wheelchair. Through hard work and intensive therapy, however, he is now on his feet and living an active life.

"He was an inpatient at the Bloorview MacMillan Centre for 11 months and was at Sunnybrook for another four and the support he got there was fantastic," Cohen said.

Though he is still visibly disabled, he is working as a small business analyst. Always a sports enthusiast, Daniel was even able to return to the slopes, downhill skiing with his family this past winter.

"It just goes to show that nobody else can tell you how far you can and can't go," Cohen said. "Doctors can run all the tests in the world, but they can't take into account motivation or determination."

Daniel worked his way through art, music, cognitive and occupational therapy as well as intensive physiotherapy and psychotherapy. Family members and friends were often on hand to offer what assistance and encouragement they could.

"His friends were unbelievable, attending a lot of his therapy sessions with him," Cohen noted. "These were a bunch of kids 18 and 19 years old, used to going out and partying, and instead they wanted to spend their time helping my son in a pool as he worked on his recovery."

While Daniel's accomplishments have been remarkable, there remains a great deal of negative stigma surrounding brain injuries. Because they are quite often not visible impairments, people suffering from brain injuries are often misunderstood when they exhibit such common symptoms as aggression, cognition and memory problems, and fatigue.

"Fortunately Daniel didn't exhibit aggression, but having worked with the Brain Injury Association for some time now, I've seen a lot of people who do," Cohen said. "Because people don't often know the behavioural components of brain injuries, that can cause difficulties."

Though Crooked Smile is already available at major bookstores, it will officially be launched on May 20 at Manor House at York University's Glendon Campus, 2275 Bayview Ave. at Lawrence Avenue. The launch will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Those looking to attend are asked to notify Lainie Cohen by e-mailing her at mail@lainiecohen.com

For details on the book or on Cohen's speaking engagements, visit www.crookedsmile.org