Client Scott Completes a 15k Waendel Walk

Client Scott wanted to combine his passion for fitness and walking with fundraising - and we're delighted to share that he successfully completed a mammoth 15k walk during the International Waendel Walk weekend – a terrific achievement! Scott raised £153.50, which he has very kindly decided to donate to us here at Headway East Northants. ​​

​Teamwork Makes the Dream Work for Client Phil

Client Phil was finding his guitar-sessions with volunteer Dave physically challenging due to shoulder mobility and eyesight issues. After some collaboration together, Dave suggested re-stringing Phil’s guitar to make it a left-handed instrument instead. Phil agreed, and Dave re-strung and reconditioned the guitar especially for a left-handed player.

Amazing success!  Phil can now hold and play with much more ease and comfort. Considering that Phil is naturally right-handed, this is a fantastic achievement as he has taken to left-handed playing very well indeed.

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​Scott's Fitness Challenge

Client Scott had the ambition of joining a gym to maintain his fitness and motivation.He didn’t want his brain injury to hold him back – and neither did we! 
So, thanks to Graham at Northamptonshire Sport's 'Activity on Referral programme, and with support from facilitator, Sue (pictured with Scott), Scott has now fulfilled that ambition and attends a gym every other week for a keep fit session.

​​Client Keith's handmade keepsake

 ​Client Keith (pictured) wanted to create something with a difference for deputy manager, Jonny’s, 40th birthday. So with support from our woodwork volunteer, Dave, Keith created a stylish wooden ’40th’ plinth decorated with coins. 

 Keith even went to the effort of making sure that each 'copper'  was a 1979 minted coin, cleaning and polishing each individual coin by hand.

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​Client Michael obtains Food Safety qualification!

Our client, Michael, has successfully completed an online course in Food Safety and now has a qualification in Level 2 Food Safety in Catering. Michael successfully combined both his culinary and I.T skills which has proved a win-win – he’s pictured above with his certificate. 

​A huge ‘well done’ to Michael, we’re really proud of you! 

​Tim and Matthew's restoration project

Clients Matthew and Tim, have done an amazing job on their upholstery renovation project.

We were gifted two Edwardian-style nursing chairs at our centre, so, with support from volunteer Dave,  the guys worked together to plan, design and completely renovate the chairs. This involved stripping the chairs back to the bare bones, removing the tatty fabric and padding, replacing the legs, and coming up with a terrific end result.

The chair is now part of our relaxation room, and looks fantastic. Once again, a great example of what brain injury survivors can achieve.

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​Amazing model-building from client Anthony!

​Actions involving hand-eye coordination are particularly beneficial to brain performance, so puzzles, model-making, etc, are ideal activities to those living with ABI. We are so impressed by Anthony's building of this incredible model robot - it was an incredibly intricate piece which required a great deal of focus and attention to detail. 

​Brilliant Woodwork from Sheena and Steve

​Clients Sheena and Steve enjoy our weekly woodwork sessions (which are supported by volunteer Les Hurwood) and together, they’ve created some wonderful pieces. These have included wine bottle holders (which Sheena is holding here), clocks, mirrors and festive decorations.

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​Client Sue Designs and Creates a Handmade Bird Table!

Talking of woodwork, client Sue and volunteer Dave worked together to create this incredible handmade bird table/feeding station, in our woodwork room! A lovely addition for anyone’s garden.

A terrific example of what a brain injury survivor can design and create! 

Tim and Matthew Prove that Happiness is Handmade with their stunning upholstered footstools

Clients Tim and Matthew, with support from volunteer Dave, developed their design skills brilliantly with these fully upholstered footstools, designed and made from scratch.

Matthew chose and cut the fabric, while Tim chose appropriate legs and attached them. Tim then went on to choose and cut some fabric for another creation, currently under construction. Brilliant work, guys! 

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Music Group clients perform LIVE 

Clients Steve, Martyn, Tim, Sheena and Jodie performed live at a concert in October alongside the Raunds & Kettering Ukulele Orchestras, as well as two choirs and other musicians, raising funds for both Headway East Northants and the Cransley Hospice.

With support from facilitators Freyja and Kate, the guys not only played drums, ukuleles and glockenspiels, but also sang live to a packed-out hall – a nerve-wracking prospect for anyone, let alone someone managing a brain injury.

We were bursting with pride, watching in the audience, and full of admiration too – clients conquered their nerves and simply took it all in their stride. Amazing stuff! 

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​Will Palmer, marathon runner and father of a son with an ABI

“My son, now aged 23, has an acquired brain injury from a car accident some 22 months ago, in Scotland. For the first 5 months I was living up there whilst he was critical, and in intensive care. When, thanks to the amazing skill and dedication of NHS Scotland, he moved to rehab, I came back home to Northamptonshire. Then with time to think, the reality of the situation kicked in and I found myself in a dark place. Desperate and confused, I turned to the lovely people at Headway, where I was made most welcome. I was offered counselling, practical advice, empathy and a deeper understanding of the situation. No punches were pulled, but this helped me face the reality and that there were lots of positive things I could do that would help me and my son.

I saw the wonderful work they do, both staff and volunteers, with the clients and made some very good friends. I was honoured (although somewhat daunted at first!) when they asked me and others to run the London marathon to help raise much needed funds for the charity. The winter training and blisters were all worth it as I managed to run my first ever marathon at such an iconic event.
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My son is finally home after 20 months in hospital and I’m happy to say making slow but steady progress after such a life changing event for all of us. I can now look forward to him making more progress in the future, however long it takes, and his spirit is an inspiration to us all. I shall always be personally grateful to all at Headway East Northants and would fully recommend them to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation and are not sure who to turn to.”

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​Diane Gower, parent of an ABI-survivor

​“HEN is one of the most beneficial services anyone could ask for in the community. I can’t express, or even put into words, how this charity can change someone’s – or their family’s –  life after the impact of a brain injury. Their up to date knowledge and empathy is second to none.
The valuable support they give to parents, families and carers by giving a voice to those with such hidden disabilities and advocating, when needed, other services and professionals is empowering, not only to families but more importantly to those who have been affected by brain injury. I would highly recommend them to anyone who is in need of guidance or support. Personally, I would like to thank Jonny Tudor, deputy manager, for all that he has done for myself and my family.”

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​​Les Hurwood,  volunteer and brain injury survivor​

​“I was an engineer by trade and used to work in various schools in London, commuting each day. Later in my career, I joined a local engineering firm. I have always loved working with my hands – from engineering, to woodwork – you name it.

Then, back in October 2015, I was involved in an accident. Following an MRI scan, it emerged that I’d acquired a brain injury. However it took around two months for physical signs of the injury to begin to show. I felt shaken by the whole experience, and in February the following year, I made the decision to retire. I later spotted an advert in the local paper for volunteers at the Headway East Northants centre in Irthlingborough and thought “Why not?” So I joined the team as a volunteer (and then later, as a trustee). Why do I do it? It’s simple – I love it! To see the smiles on clients’ faces when they’ve achieved or made something, and to see everyone here so happy – it just makes everything worthwhile.”

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​Val Gibson, parent of one of our clients

​“My son comes here and he loves it. They have helped him so much – he has come on a lot. Thank you.”

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​Will Palmer

​Will is the parent of a son with an acquired brain injury, and inspired by him, ran the London Marathon for us.
 
“My son, now aged 23, has an acquired brain injury from a car accident some 22 months ago, in Scotland. For the first 5 months I was living up there whilst he was critical and in intensive care. When, thanks to the amazing skill and dedication of NHS Scotland, he moved to rehab, I came back home to Northamptonshire. Then with time to think, the reality of the situation kicked in and I found myself in a dark place.

Desperate and confused, I turned to the lovely people at Headway, where I was made most welcome. I was offered counselling, practical advice, empathy and a deeper understanding of the situation. No punches were pulled but this helped me face the reality and that there was lots of positive things I could do that would help me and my son.

I saw the wonderful work they do, both staff and volunteers, with the clients and made some very good friends. I was honoured, although somewhat daunted at first, when they asked me and others to run the London marathon to help raise much needed funds for the charity. The winter training and blisters were all worth it as I managed to run my first ever marathon at such an iconic event.

My son is finally home after 20 months in hospital and I’m happy to say making slow but steady progress after such a life changing event for all of us. I can now look forward to him making more progress in the future, however long it takes and his spirit is an inspiration to us all. I shall always be personally grateful to all at Headway East Northants and would fully recommend them to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation and are not sure who to turn to.​

​Karen Betts - My Story

​Karen Betts has written a book about her experience after her husband Aaron sustained a brain injury.  Aaron collapsed in the shower in April 2009 and subsequently spent three weeks in a coma. Mrs Betts later found out he had sustained a brain injury, and Aaron had to learn to walk, talk, read and write again. 

As her role went from being a wife to a full time carer, Mrs Betts, who lives in Rushden, kept diaries of the experience.  She decided to turn her writings into a book in a bid to raise public awareness. The book, Lost, has now been published. 

Mrs Betts said: “There are lots of books out there for survivors but there’s nothing for the spouses. There is a sense of hopelessness. When someone reads the book and says ‘I feel that too’, you are not on your own. If it brings hope to just one person, I have achieved my goal.”

Mrs Betts said she had also written the book to help Mr Betts understand what had happened to him, and as therapy for herself. She said: “It only started out as diaries, but as it went on I thought, ‘I could write a book’, just to put my point of view across, and to say that it can happen to anyone at any time, no matter who you are.

Aaron got up for work as normal. I was going to go in earlier but something prevented me going in. He got in the shower and within two minutes I heard this horrendous noise coming from the bathroom. I later found out he’d had a bleed to the brain.”

Mr Betts now resides at Oakleaf Care, a brain injury rehabilitation unit in Hartwell. He was referred there in August 2009 and has improved to the point where he is now able to live in one of the community houses there.

​ THANK YOU to you, other staff

​Wilson Paterson

​Peer Group Volunteer, Wilson Paterson, shares his personal experience of brain injury with us, in his own words:
 
Headway and Me – My Personal Experience of Brain Injury
 
About seven years ago my wife, Viv, then 51, started to suffer from a number of medical issues, which had reduced her physical capabilities.  She was sleeping for longer periods and beginning to struggle with everyday tasks. I struggled to understand what was happening and to some extent focussed on work to avoid having to address what was happening. I had a demanding job in the Civil Service, based an hour away in Peterborough.

In March 2013 she collapsed early one morning, which led to an emergency admission to NGH, with a subsequent transfer to JRH, Oxford, where she underwent emergency surgery to replace a blocked shunt, inserted as a child to drain excess fluid from her cranial cavity. The operation was a success, but Viv’s surgeon warned us to expect a restoration of 60 to 70% capacity at best. The blockage had caused a bleed in the cranial cavity and damage.

Viv was discharged at the end of March, and our lives returned to normal, with a holiday in Italy that June. Over the summer Viv did make a visit to Headway but did not feel as if it was right for her. She too was having difficulty in coming to terms with the effects. We managed to continue with our lives, Viv at home now, with no prospect of returning to work. Over the summer her condition deteriorated slowly, and this process continued for some time.

Viv revisited Headway and decided to attend, initially for two afternoons a week. I continued my job, taking on some very demanding training for a difficult new role, which in hindsight was not a good idea.

Viv’s mobility was restricted, but she was still able to walk. Headway was invaluable as it gave her an opportunity to mix with other people and undertake activities which she enjoyed.

We had another appointment at JRH, with Mr Griffiths, her surgeon. After scans etc., we had a discussion with him, where he gave us his view on what had happened to Viv.  His theory was that the shunt fitted in her early childhood had rained too much fluid, which had led to a significant bleed on the brain. This had scarred and resolved into extensive calcified bodies. His view was that this should have left her very significantly disabled, but in evidence of the plasticity of the brain, particularly in early childhood, her brain had rewired itself to allow her to survive and indeed thrive. This process had continued throughout her life, but in her early fifties the brain had begun to run out of resource for the rewiring and systems began to fail, leading to a consequent gradual increase in disability. There is no treatment that he would have countenanced, but he did give Viv the option to have the calcifications removed, at enormous risk of outcome. Viv and I discussed this option in private and decided against it.

We returned home to our normal lives, the new normal. We both struggled with this. There was a number of issues which began to arise, such as incontinence, which we both found difficult to deal with.  My line manager at work advised me to seek support from our internal support service, which saw me referred to a psychotherapist. I am still seeing her.

Over time Viv’s condition deteriorated to such an extent that she no longer had the use of her legs. She was admitted to hospital, at NGH, to establish the cause, which included an exploratory operation to see if the new shunt was blocked. The operation, from the surgical point of view, was a success, as the shunt was functioning. I met one of the surgical team in the café at JRH, and he must have been puzzled by my disappointed reaction, but a blockage and subsequent repair of the shunt was the only glimmer of hope, otherwise this was a permanent and significant deterioration of Viv’s condition, with no hope of amelioration.

At the time of the deterioration Viv ceased to attend Headway, as her level of disability was now too extensive for the team to cope with. However, Viv had increased her attendance to four afternoons a week, and thoroughly enjoyed her visits. I appreciated the great work Headway had done in providing Viv with social interaction and stimulation beyond what I could provide. I occasionally picked her up, especially after work on a Friday afternoon, when I would wait for her to finish her game of Scrabble and join in myself.

Viv returned to NGH and thence to Isebrook, for rehabilitation. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the physiotherapists, Viv’s brain had no capacity to absorb the knowledge that physio imparts to muscles, tendons nerves and the brain. We were advised that Viv would require extensive nursing and physical care. We considered the option of her returning home, but the house was not in a fit state to accommodate a severely disabled person, and I wasn’t either. This may shock some, and I will talk about guilt. But I realised that the cost in monetary and health terms of home care were too high, with both of us probably facing a very isolated existence. I had by now taken early retirement from work after a three month spell of sick leave, due to stress. I was lucky; as well as a very supportive employer – I represented a valuable asset and my managers genuinely cared about me – I was very fit. My psychotherapist commented that this helped me cope enormously.

I had a very difficult series of discussion with Viv. I can’t stress how hard this was, but we agreed that a nursing home was the best solution. I could relinquish my role as a carer and return to being as much of a husband as possible. We found a suitable home, and I want to record my gratitude to Jean Tudor, who accompanied me on two visits and provided invaluable advice on the best option for Viv. Viv made a couple of visits to the home and decided that it was suitable and moved in in late June 2017.

Our lives are now much better. Viv receives all the physical care she needs, good medical care and is with other people. I visit daily and have time to enjoy the rest of my life and have something to share with Viv. Home care would have had me frightened to go out, worried about what I might find when I got back home.

The staff at the home are excellent, and I am part of Viv’s community there. They look after me as well. As I said to one of my friends recently,  ‘life is bad, but it’s wonderful’.

I used to dread coming home from work, from athletics training, frightened of what I might find. Every day was tightly timetabled, all of which piled up low level persistent stress. I did find a care business who provided some physical care for Viv, and invaluable support for me. But the underlying stress remained.

My line manager agreed that I could relocate to our Northampton office, while Viv was in NGH. My colleagues were very supportive, and I can’t say how grateful I am to my friends and family.

My overwhelming reaction to the whole matter is fear and guilt.  I had no idea what to do; I found it hard to ask for help; the uncertainty made me dread coming home; and I felt guilt for not doing enough. Guilt is the prevailing feeling, in my experience, stemming from inadequacy in dealing with the early years of Viv’s condition, and from perceiving myself as selfish for having a life away from Viv’s bedside in the home. But I have a support network, friends, family, psychotherapist and the home staff, who all remind me that I am better for Viv if I look after myself. 

Guilt remains; I feel guilty every time I leave Viv after a visit, especially in the evening. I feel guilty when I go on holiday.  However, for me to be a good spouse in the circumstances, I need to have things to tell Viv, I need to have a life of my own. I live with the guilt. I am looking after myself. If I am not there through illness, who will Viv have?

I end with a question, because there are no answers that solve everything. I do my best. I recognise my limitations. We are surviving.

​Stuart White, Facilitator

​In 1996,  the day after my 13th birthday, I was hit by a car when I was on my bike. I went straight into a coma for nine days and was hospitalised for nearly two months. I had a fractured skull (just above my nose) going all the way  up and down my head to the top of my neck, and two black eyes the size of golf balls. As a result of the accident I lost so much memory that I was basically back to the age of a 4 or 5 year old. I couldn’t even remember the names of some of my family.

I remember being at the hospital and having my own room. It was right next to the main desk for the children’s ward. As you go into the room on the left was the television and video. Far left was the bed (going towards to the television) and next to it was a cupboard where I had my drinks and sweets. Funny what you can recall.

I had a huge problem with one of my legs because I couldn’t ‘lift it’ when I was walking. I couldn’t walk far, so I used a wheelchair.

I had to re-learn writing, reading, maths….everything. I had a big slur when I was talking. When I did talk, a lot of the time the words came out wrong (for example, to say “please can you pass me the salt” I would say something like “I want some milk”).

I found that others in the hospital (and outside too) tended to look at me and judged me without even knowing what I had been through.

I have a sister five years younger than me, and I would hit her and then ask, within the space of a minute, “”Why are you crying?”. She would then have to explain to me that I’d hit her, at which point I would then cry and ask, “Why would I do that? I didn’t do that!”

I have epilepsy now due to the accident but I consider myself lucky because I could have ended up a lot worse, in many different ways, as you can imagine.

I have progressed so far. I also consider that the accident happened for a reason and has made me a better person than the person I was before.

After so many years I am finally able to talk to pretty much anyone about what happened to me without crying. I did consider suicide once. When I was 13, I felt so bad because it was Christmas time and I had no money to get my family presents (of course I didn’t comprehend at the time that I didn’t need to).

I have never really had many friends because I have always been judged as an ‘outsider’ and ‘unwanted’ but I still carried on fighting. Now I have  friends and people accept me for me. I try and tell others that whatever happens, things DO improve.

In August 2013 I joined a group where I live to volunteer, who support people with head injuries. That group was Headway East Northants. I talked to the people there, shared stories , painted, taught basic computer skills, played games, visited places like bowling, karaoke etc and I found my ‘fire from inside me’ again.

In September the same year I was called into the office by the Services Manager. I must admit I was surprised and didn’t really know what she wanted. We sat down and started talking….. and then I was offered a job. I was (and still am) shocked, not just because I hadn’t been volunteering very long, but also because of how much positivity I received from her. I must have had the same from the clients and other staff and volunteers. Basically what I am trying to say is that it DOES improve and I want everyone else to stay strong.

I couldn’t have done it without my family and friends. I explained it all to my Mum when I got home and she burst into tears. She was so happy for me and said she is so proud of me.

I watched the film ‘The Crash Reel’. It is the first film that has made me cry. It’s about an accident that involved a traumatic brain injury. The film reminded me of myself in so many ways. Watching the coma part, in a wheelchair, struggling to walk long distances (when I mean long, I mean longer than five minutes).

I wouldn’t have been able reach this point without my family and I can’t thank them enough for it. I have always wanted to give something back to them. I know I can’t, but I also know that I haven’t got to …it’s just something that is always in my mind. My parents visited me every single day whilst I was in hospital. Their pain is something I can’t get out of my mind. I remember once that I thought they didn’t want to see me, because I called them and there was no answer. They turned up one minute later and I cried.

It hasn’t been long since I’ve been willing to open up fully about all of this. It does make me sad because 17 years of not opening up about it all, and then all of it coming out at once,  it’s a lot,  but I know it’s the right time to open up and help as many people as possible.

Thank you for reading this and I hope it helps. Never give up, even though it’s so hard, because I assure you that your son, daughter, family, friend or loved ones will be so grateful you didn’t.
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