A Valley mom is sharing the importance of building better brain health.
Genein Letford is taking what she has learned from spending 15 years as a teacher to educate all of us about how to power up our brains for a changing world.
She’s hoping to raise awareness for things like brain disease, inspire more brain creativity, and also teach people about something called “Brain Capital,” which she says is a combination of brain health and brain skills.
To do all of this, she has recruited a pint-sized helper who is already having a huge impact: her son!
He is too small to reach the podium’s microphone at a recent Avondale City Council meeting, but his message was too big to be silenced.
“Good evening, Mayor and City Council,” announced Shawn Letford. At 7 years old, he somehow mustered up enough bravery to address an entire crowd at an early July meeting.
“I wasn’t nervous!” he confidently explained to ABC15’s Nick Ciletti. “My brain says, ‘You can do this!'”
Shawn and his mom, Genein, had requested that the City of Avondale issue an official proclamation to celebrate World Brain Day on July 22, which focuses on not only brain health and diseases, but also ways to improve brain health and other aspects. It was first celebrated by the World Federation of Neurology.
“With A.I. coming, we need to start looking at brain capital, which is brain skills and brain health, as an asset,” says Genein. “And I think we could be a voice for the people. Not everyone is going to read a 20-page, peer-reviewed report at 8-point font…It’s an exciting time because we are in a huge shift right now, and we need some new perspectives, and I feel like we can offer that.”
Those new perspectives also include younger voices like Shawn’s.
During the July 7 meeting, Shawn explained some of the concepts outlined in a book this mother-son duo published last year, called “My Brain, My Brain, My Beautiful Brain.”
“Sweep up, sweep up, sweep up the toxins,” sang a gleeful Shawn in front of the crowd at the meeting.
“It reminds kids that there are different ways to be smart,” says Genein.
Genein and Shawn have a new book being released on World Brain Day, called “I Am Creative: Building Brain Capital and Brain Health with NeuroSomatic Creativity.”
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