There is little more rewarding than helping somebody overcome the challenges they face after a serious injury. And for those who live with a brain injury, no matter what age, an understanding network of people around them to provide support is vital.
Suffering a serious brain injury is of course life-changing. The best medical treatment is crucial but we also recognise that people also need much longer term support and rehabilitation to help pick up their lives after such a traumatic experience.
In our work as personal injury specialists at Hudgell Solicitors, we are extremely proud to have supported many inspirational people who have made remarkable recoveries from serious, catastrophic life-changing injuries.
We are able to provide hope to those who are understandably apprehensive about what the future holds following a brain injury. We are just as proud of our partnerships with charities which are in place to provide dedicated support to those who most need it.
Such organisations play a crucial role in helping people not only adapt to life with a brain injury or other disabilities, but importantly continue to enjoy their lives, regain their independence and benefit from active and varied social lives.
We are once again be supporting the brain injury association, Headway, as it runs its ‘Action for Brain Injury Week’ (May 20-26).
Headway continually campaigns for greater awareness and understanding of brain injuries, not only in terms of how they affect people, but also how others view brain injured people and how they provide support to them.
Understanding is key, and through our charity work this year, we are delighted to have formed a new partnership with the Special Stars Foundation, a wonderful charity in Hull doing tremendous work.
Special Stars aims to provide ‘safe, accessible, affordable and inclusive’ activities for families affected by disability – something you would perhaps expect to be freely and readily available in all communities, but unfortunately is not.
Perhaps most importantly of all it provides an ‘understanding’ environment where young and old benefit from services such as specially organised weekly play sessions, craft workshops, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, support groups and training sessions and seminars for parent carers.
All people have to do to attend is register as a user, and the services provided are in such demand it is currently receiving around 15-20 new registrations each week.
This just goes to show how valuable support networks are, and how the right forms of activity can prove so life enhancing for families.
Establishing networks of support is always at the heart of our work when assisting families of young children who have suffered life-changing injuries.
Specifically tailored rehabilitation packages are developed, and funds secured to cover the cost of private medical treatment, develop full care plans, or to adapt accommodation to meet a family’s needs.
We are of course also heavily involved in supporting adults with brain injuries and continue to work alongside the Paul For Brain Recovery charity in Hull, which aims to make life easier after brain injury by providing advice and support.
Three years ago we helped it open a new community drop-in centre in Hull for people recovering from brain injuries.
Through services such as one-to-one and family support sessions, social time and by providing advice on healthy living and nutrition to aid brain recovery, it has become a vital service in the city.
So, as our work and that of charity groups shows, great support networks make a hugely positive difference to people with disabilities and serious injuries, and their families.
Ensuring such support always remains in place and available will be the focus of our work in the future.
