Lucy's half a marathon for Headway

In 2013 my dad sustained a brain injury when he fell down the stairs at home. After weeks in an induced coma and a month in hospital we finally got him home. My dad acquired most of the damage to the back of his head – mainly damaging the Cerebellum which controls movement, coordination, balance, equilibrium and muscle tone. This has caused him to have slurred speech, poor balance, constant double vision and difficulty with fine motor skills. Not only has he had to deal with physical restrictions, but he has also suffered with his mental health. Going from a fully independent and able man who had proudly served in the RAF as a firefighter for 25 years, to someone who is dependent on others to assist with everyday tasks. I cannot even begin to image how frustrating and difficult this must have been to come to terms with. My dad had become very depressed, not only that, as a result of the brain injury he began to exhibit new and out of character personality traits. At times he was a completely different person and a difficult person to live with. This new person had my Dad’s memories and looks but we just seemed to have nothing in common anymore. We experienced a breakdown in our relationship as I tried to come to terms with having (what felt like) a stranger in my life. It felt like our family was just existing – and something had to change. We then found Headway - this is a support group for people with brain injuries and their families. They meet up most weeks and work towards improving life after brain injury. By attending, my dad has made connections with others in a similar situation which has allowed him to begin to accept who he is now. After a few visits to Headway my Dad changed. He had things to work towards, he took part in an assisted Triathlon and continues to meet the friends he has made for coffee once a week. My dad is once again the loudest one in the group and telling all the jokes with the biggest smile on his face – these were traits from the Keith I knew. These wonderful parts of his personality once again started to shine through. Headway brought us back to us being a family and supported my dad to become more accepting of his new life.
That is why I am doing the Half Marathon on Sunday 21st of February to raise awareness of Headway and to raise money for this wonderful charity. I think that society today still holds a stigma around people with a brain injury and its down to misinformation and lack of education. Please visit the website www.headway.org.uk to learn more about brain injury and please donate to this worthwhile cause - to support brain injured people and their families. Thank you