Case Studies

Ben

Ben is 26 and sustained a brain injury in 2007 following an assault. Ben was initially in a coma for 1 week and spent 3 months in Addenbrookes hospital. Ben suffered cognitive difficulties that were having a substantial impact on his life. He reported problems with attention & concentration, poor short term memory, slowed information processing and very poor planning skills. Ben was also impulsive at times, not always thinking through the consequence of his actions and lacked motivation. He was also very anxious and stated that his confidence levels had dropped by 60%.

Ben started at Headway Cambridgeshire in May 2009, attending 2 days a week. Since joining he has taken part in Film Making group, Radio group, Football, Gym and Drama. Ben's initial goals were around building his confidence and self esteem and looking at effective strategies for dealing with his cognitive impairments. During meetings with his key worker Ben identified a long term goal of returning to employment and stated that he wanted to look for employment in a gardening role. He was referred to Headway's Your Time project and his key worker and a volunteer identified a series of short term goals, including learning how to use public transport, learning how to use the local library, shopping and meal planning, before finally supporting him to gain volunteering experience with a local gardener. He began his volunteering in early 2010 and this is going very well. He has recently increased from one day to two days a week and is hopeful of gaining a permanent paid position in the near future.

Hayley

When she was 18 years old, Hayley spent six months in hospital recovering from a traumatic brain injury. She had to rebuild her life and relearn basic life skills such as walking and talking. In 2008 Hayley fell pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. In spite of worries that she would be unable to cope due to her various difficulties, Hayley is now living as independently as possible in the family home, raising her daughter with support from her mum. 

Jan

Jan suffered a brain injury eight years ago following a road traffic accident which left her needing hospital treatment for months and changed her life for ever. Jan is one of Headway Cambridgeshire's community brain injury clients and keeps in touch with Headway Cambridgeshire for advice and support. She often takes part in workshops and lectures that Headway Cambridgeshire organises for brain injury survivors, their family and carers. Jan tells her own story on her website.

Nick

Nick was just 17 when he suffered his brain injury. He was a self-confessed ‘boy racer' who had recently passed his driving test and who possessed the arrogance of youth believing that he was invincible. Early one morning driving to work, Nick made the worst decision of his life when he overtook two cars and had a head-on collision with a three-tonne lorry coming the other way. Nick spent 10 months in Intensive Care at Addenbrooke's Hospital fighting for survival. He has made a remarkable recovery, but is now a wheelchair user with severely affected mobility and speech.

Now aged 24, Nick has backed a campaign by road safety charity Brake to urge young drivers to use the roads safely to avoid the devastating consequences of accidents like his. He is seen frequently in the local newspapers and on local television putting his own life on public view in the hope that young people might take note and drive sensibly.

In 2007 in support of Headway - the brain injury association's Action for Brain Injury Week, Nick, together with staff from Headway Cambridgeshire, undertook a series of visits to local schools and colleges. He spoke to large groups of students aged between 15 and 18 years, sharing his story and talking to them about the mistake he made that changed his life for ever. What was amazing at these presentations, (and this certainly gave us all the ‘tingle factor'), was that despite his speech difficulties, when Nick was on stage in front of a hall full of teenagers, not a sound was heard from the audience; they were captivated by the courage and presence of this young man telling them about how different his life is now. By the time Nick finished his talk several of the students were in tears, and on one occasion one of the students was so overcome with emotion that he had to leave the hall altogether.

We know that it takes great courage to make the journey to recovery from a devastating brain injury. We feel that it takes even greater courage to put oneself out there in full public view exposing one's very private life to try to prevent another person from suffering the same fate. At Headway Cambridgeshire we know that through his campaigning Nick is a great role model for young people and we hope that by sharing his experience and life story he will stop another boy racer before the worst happens to them.

Barry

Up to the day that Barry was assaulted he felt that he was already an achiever in life; he was happily married with a four year old son, successful in his career with a bright future ahead. All this changed however when he was attacked from behind, hit over the head with a metal object and left unconscious in the road bleeding from a massive head injury. His wound was stitched and cleaned up and Barry's visible injuries healed. Barry recovered physically and was given the all-clear to return to work. This was when Barry's life started to disintegrate and fall apart. Unrecognised by doctors and other specialists at the time, Barry was suffering from the long-term affects of a brain injury which stopped him from getting back to a ‘normal' life. With no expert help he tried to ignore the maelstrom that was going on inside his head, but both his home life and his job suffered. One day at work Barry had a very narrow escape from fatal fall from a high tower when he seemed to lose control of all the muscles in his body. It was then that Barry was forced to admit that things were not the same as before the assault.

He gradually withdrew from all life outside his house, losing all confidence and self-esteem. He became a recluse, not able to see anyone he didn't trust, having panic attacks and staying indoors with the curtains drawn. Eventually, Barry was referred to more appropriate specialists in brain injury who was able to treat Barry medically and gave him and his wife Jane a new life-line in the form of contact with Headway. Finally Barry was given the support he needed, and he has gradually learned the value of self-belief and self-worth. With the help and support from staff at Headway Cambridgeshire Barry has managed to overcome many of his confidence issues and gradually has rebuilt his life accepting the challenges that have come with living with a brain injury and is learning to move forward to a new life. Barry says "I was very nervous on my first day (at Headway) but it was great to talk to other members about things they had been through.  Although not everyone has the same symptoms, between us all we have a common bond, and there is always someone who has had to deal with something that I have had to. Headway has given me my belief in myself again; it didn't take me long to be part of the special place Headway is."

Barry has been supported by Headway Cambridgeshire since 2001, but it is only in the last three years that he has been able to nurture a desire to try to develop a new skill. Barry has taught himself to paint and uses computer technology to create pictures in a new and exciting style. Thirteen years after his brain injury, through help and support given to him by staff at Headway Cambridgeshire, and encouragement given by local people in Brighton, Barry felt confident enough to take a short term let on a shop. He opened an art gallery in the shop displaying many of his wonderful canvasses. The gallery was open for four months, during which time he sold many of his paintings and also received two commissions. The gallery was even visited by pop legend Paul Weller and his girlfriend. Barry now has permanent exhibitions in several clubs and restaurants in Brighton; he has developed his own website and very recently sold one of his paintings through the internet. As he says, "It is amazing to think that a stranger appreciated my art enough to buy it...!" He goes on to say "Things are getting better all the time. Special thanks to all the people at Headway who have helped me and my family along my journey from the dark place I was."

Staff at Headway Cambridgeshire who remember the Barry who stepped nervously through the front door of Headway House, are full of admiration for what Barry has achieved, against all the odds.

Tom

Dr Tom Howes spent two months in the intensive care unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital after he was knocked off his bicycle when cycling on his way to work in October 1997. He became a service user when he was well enough to be discharged. After a long haul, a lot of determination and hard work Tom is back to full strength and good health and has returned to work as a membership administrator at his old company.

Tom has remembered the help he received from Headway Cambridgeshire and has undertaken some mind-boggling physical challenges to raise funds for the service in Cambridge.

In 2000, 2002 and 2007 Tom completed the 46 mile RAF Pathfinder Walk. The challenge is to complete the walk in a day in memory of the 2nd World War Pathfinder Squadrons that flew from airfields that surround the area of the walk. Tom completed the walks in less than 16 hours each time. A walk of this distance is not only hugely physically demanding, but is also mentally challenging. Determination to achieve his goals has become part of who Tom Howes is.

Tom's most recent personal challenge has been a gruelling cycle ride of 986 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats. Tom wanted to raise awareness of brain injury as well as funds for Headway Cambridgeshire through sponsorship. Tom was joined by five friends taking on this challenge starting in Cornwall completing the epic journey in 16 days. This test of mental and physical strength is a brave undertaking by anyone, but particularly so for a survivor of a brain injury.

Tom says that "Visiting Headway House again and meeting people attending there has reminded me of how excellent my recovery has been. It certainly gives me more incentive to continue to raise money for Headway in the future."

To date Tom has raised over £3000 for Headway Cambridgeshire and in 2009 became a Trustee.