A Strabane woman, whose son was left severely brain damaged after a road accident almost 20 years ago, has praised the work of a Derry group who provide families of brain injury victims with a vital aftercare support package.
Speaking to the 'Journal' ahead of tomorrow's relaunch of Headway, an organisation offering carer support for family or relatives with a brain injury, Sally Moss from Five Acres in Strabane said that it was "tremendous" to see an organisation providi
ng hands-on support for families before they take their loved one home from hospital, something that was not available to her 20 years ago.
" I took my son home from hospital in Christmas 1989 and he needed 24 hour care but nobody told me anything about brain damage or what was expected of me from there on in," she said.
Mrs Moss's son Michael, now 48, was left severely brain damaged after a fatal accident close to his home nearly 20 years ago.
Mrs Moss said that she drifted along for years in a state of shock before she realised that her son would be left in this condition for the rest of his life.
Shock
" I was drifting along from day to day, my husband was killed two years before my son's accident and I was in a state of shock without any help or respite until Headway came along 10 years later.
"In the beginning nobody told me what was expected of me. I just had to learn to cope for myself, I wasn't entitled to any financial help because doctors didn't consider Michael to be physically or mentally disabled even though he was brain damaged," she said.
Mrs Moss said that in the end she had to take a loan from the credit union to cover the costs of building a downstairs extension for Michael.
"It's important that I emphasize how much better it is now for families coping with a brain injury compared to 20 years ago. Headway are a fantastic group, they send a team into work with the families/ carers before they bring their relative home from hospital and provide a whole care package for them.
She continued: "No two brain injuries are the same, there are hidden injuries that nobody can see.
"If you looked at my son's face you might think he's ok but nobody knows what is going on in his mind.
Attention
"He demands the same attention as a child, I got a person back after that accident but not my son," he said.
Headway are holding a re-launch night for all careers of brain injury victims on Wednesday, May 7 at the Foyle Disability Resource Centre at 7 30 pm.
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