The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona is excited to announce that five-time Emmy winning journalist and former Channel 3 news anchor Brandon Lee is its 2023 Man of Courage.

Lee will be honored at the organization’s second annual Brainiac Bash on Jan. 14, 2023, at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia, according to a press release.

As a child, Lee was abused, and as a teen he turned to drugs to cope. After years of addiction, including nearly dying and being in a coma because of an overdose, Lee experienced a traumatic brain injury.

He opened up about his personal story in his memoir, “Mascara Boy,” and in 2021 founded the Art of Our Soul, an art healing program for trauma survivors. Lee, who is also a professional artist, found that art was instrumental in his own recovery, the release stated.

Lee’s mission is to reduce the stigma around addiction and has partnered with his former TV news anchor Carey Pena to create the Center For Positive Media, a content house that produces mental health summits for major healthcare providers. Lee is also a board member at St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Center and a popular motivational speaker.

“I am so humbled to be receiving the Man of Courage award,” Lee said in the release. “I shared my story to help me heal by releasing the burden of shame that had sent my life spiraling. By speaking openly and honestly it has freed my soul. I never thought it would have an impact on others. I have never seen myself as a courageous person. I just want to help others find their way out of the dark and lead them to the light.”

“The Man of Courage is designed to recognize an individual who has overcome adversity and is now helping others who are struggling with a challenging situation do the same,” Carrie Collins-Fadell, CEO of The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona, said in the release. “Brandon is the epitome of this, both helping others and inspiring individuals to see that there is light after dark.”

The Brainiac Bash, co-chaired by Debbie Gaby and Kathryn Pidgeon, helps shine a spotlight on the misunderstood world of traumatic brain injuries. Thousands of Arizonans will be seen in an emergency room due to brain injury this year, and over 5.3 million people in the United States live with a permanent brain injury-related disability, but brain injury tragically remains misunderstood, misdiagnosed and rarely talked about.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona is a statewide organization that supports individuals with brain injuries and the professionals that serve them through prevention, education and awareness.