Hays Travel Hanley Snowdon Challenge

Hello, my colleagues at Hays Travel Hanley and I are climbing Mount Snowdon to raise money for a charity that is very dear to my heart. Headway North Staffordshire (https://headwaynorthstaffs.org/) is a charity set up to support survivors of an acquired brain injury and their families.

Every 90 seconds someone in the UK experiences an acquired brain injury. My father was one such person. While undergoing heart surgery dad had a minor stroke, followed a few days later by a catastrophic clot on the brain. Dad was left unable to speak, walk or feed himself - simple daily tasks we all take for granted. Dad spent the final few years in a care home. I felt that there was no support available once dad had been discharged from hospital, nothing to help dad regain some independence. Dad’s condition deteriorated, what little movement he had retained became less and less. Hospital stays followed hospital stays. Dad passed away a few years after his brain injury.

It was only much later that the family found out about Headway North Staffordshire. Headway is a wonderful charity that exists to support survivors of an acquired brain injury become their best selves. Headway North Staffordshire offers access to NHS physio and occupational therapists who design an individualised rehabilitation programme to help people regain strength, improve balance and carry out routine tasks around the home.

Headway North Staffordshire provides much more besides, including an outreach service where personal assistants support people to access activities in the community, attend appointments or go shopping. There is a qualified speech and language therapist on site, as well as a counsellor who can help survivors and family members process and deal with their trauma.

Speaking from experience, seeing what has happened to your loved one takes it toil on your mental health and wellbeing. As you live through events you don’t recognise the impact it has on your mental health because you try to stay strong for those around you, you deal with it, you bottle up the feelings of grief, anger, guilt. But eventually the feelings grow too strong. I was fortunate, Headway was there to help. Thank you.

Please help us to support the fabulous work of Headway