A B.C. woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in her 20s says she鈥檚 saddened and tired of being mistaken for being inebriated.

Barbara E. (Red) Allen, now 59, was just 27 years old when she was a passenger in a fatal car accident caused by a drunk driver in Peticodiac, New Brunswick.

The drunk driver walked away. Allen鈥檚 driver, Tom, died at the scene. Allen had to be cut from the car with the Jaws of Life. Her brain injury resulting from the accident was compounded by a punctured lung and facial injuries that required plastic surgery.

The injury, in her words, initially reduced her to the capabilities of a three-year-old inside and out. A long and arduous process 鈥渨here I had to learn how to walk and talk again,鈥� gave Allen some of her life back, but she never fully recovered from the brain injury and never will.

鈥淚 was unconscious for nine days,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been dealing with this disability for 30 years now.鈥�

The pain of those injuries is still felt, but it鈥檚 the misperceptions they sometimes create make it even harder to cope.

Now living in Chemainus on Vancouver Island, Allen says she鈥檚 been stopped by police in the middle of the day and asked to take a breathalyzer test because her speech and appearance is such that people often think she鈥檚 been drinking. She was once pulled over for a mistaken interpretation of dangerous driving after a woman spotted her at a traffic light.

She doesn鈥檛 wish to vilify the RCMP who are only doing their jobs, but she鈥檚 been mistakenly thought to be inebriated three times in recent years and been questioned while trying to make liquor store purchases.

鈥淚 am simply wanting to raise awareness of invisible disabilities and asked to be respected for myself and my community efforts,鈥� Allen said.

She has a lot going on in her life and tries not to dwell on those things, but it鈥檚 always a challenge. Even this long after her accident, Allen doesn鈥檛 take anything for granted.

She took 10 courses and spent three years working toward becoming a personal trainer. And she鈥檚 not letting anything get her down despite some annoying obstacles.

She would just like people who might not know someone鈥檚 circumstances to show a little more compassion.

鈥淚鈥檓 feeling blessed to be able to walk and talk again,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 working out like crazy.鈥�

Allen hopes some understanding of her life will help so that she can continue to participate within the her community. She recently joined the Cowichan Brain Injury Society and that鈥檚 helping herself and others with like minds to cope.

鈥淚 think I鈥檓 a better person than I was before. It鈥檚 a life lesson you don鈥檛 wish on anyone. But I鈥檓 here now.鈥�

For more news from Vancouver Island and beyond delivered daily into your inbox, please