Mary Goode, Headway's Cheif Executive writes:
One day can change everything
You never forget the days that change your life. Finding out your own loved one has had a brain injury – I’m sure you’ll appreciate just how life-changing this can be. Or waking up from a coma to find you have had a life changing accident and you don’t recognise members of your own family. Situations that are made all the more devastating by the fact that you and your family can’t find the support you need after hospital discharge. However, there is one organisation in Cambridgeshire that helps anyone no matter how severe their brain injury, how it was caused, or how it affects them: Headway Cambridgeshire. It costs us £64.00 a day to support one individual with a brain injury at our specialist hub in Fulbourn. That’s a lot less than a Christmas lunch. It’s also healthier; £64 a day means we can offer:
- access to our gym and specialist instructor to build strength and improve mobility
- dedicated group sessions learning to cook a meal and vital coping strategies
- engaging creative sessions in our art room or garden, activities that aren’t possible at home
But we’re not asking for £64.00. We’re asking for just £4.00 – from everybody. Please donate £4 now to help provide specialist support to adults living with the long term effects of severe brain injury.
Our challenge is greater than ever
This Christmas, the people that we support are more vulnerable than ever. Recent research shows that disabled people – exactly the people we support – are being disproportionately affected by recent reforms: cuts to social care, benefits and housing, and tax increases. In fact, disabled people will pay nine times more towards reducing the budget deficit than the average citizen. Severely disabled people, like the people supported by our hub services at Cambridge and Peterborough, will pay nineteen times more than the average citizen. We think that this is unfair. That’s why we’re continuing to provide specialist support from our dedicated team: people like Jo and Veer. Jo supports the most vulnerable members of our community to navigate the system of assessments and forms to make sure that they continue to get the support they need. And she’s always there as a listening ear when things are tough. Veer supports people like Lesley to build strength and flexibility in our gym, improving confidence and reducing pain. Donate £4 now to help us to continue to provide this crucial support.
The Day Life Changed for Lesley
Lesley was driving home from the doctors when she suffered an aneurysm – a severe brain injury that meant she lost the ability to walk and talk. Lesley’s life completely changed. Her brain injury affects many aspects of her life. She gets tired very easily and the processing speed of her brain is a lot slower which affects her learning. She will have to deal with these changes for the rest of her life. This ‘loss’ has been very difficult at times to accept and understand. Years on, life is still a challenge. Lesley and her family are very grateful for the clinical treatment provided by other organisations. But they need non-clinical support to enable them to come to terms with what has happened, plan for the future, and help Lesley to gain and maintain as much independence as possible. With Headway’s support, Lesley can face her challenge every day. Headway Cambridgeshire is the only local charity that provides this support, and never closes a case. We never discharge anyone; we’re always here, however long it has been since your injury or since you last made contact with us. Without us many of the people we work with would simply be left isolated, unsupported and confused. Support us by giving £4 now.
Today, another six people will be admitted to accident and emergency with a brain injury. This won’t stop over the Festive Period and for families like Lesley’s, this will be the beginning of a long journey. Please help Headway Cambridgeshire provide much needed support to local families by donating £4. If we have helped you or your loved one this year and you can afford it, please consider donating too so we can continue to provide this crucial support to other people.
Are you asking, ‘how can I do more?’
If you would like to make even more of a difference, please consider donating a small sum every month. By becoming a regular donor for a year, you will help enable us to support Lesley and other clients every month – to the end of January 2015. What a way to start the year! Your gift will quite literally change lives, not only for the injured person, but the whole family too; it helps fund Headway Cambridgeshire’s range of services including Catherine, our Hospital Brain Injury Co-ordinator providing support as soon as possible after injury, and Jo, our Community Brain Injury Co-ordinator who provides continuing support in the community, giving many a voice when no one else is there.