newsletter

NEWSLETTER

Headway Bradford had our official launch on Tuesday 12th June in the banqueting suite at Bradford City Hall, we were fortunate to have the The Lord Mayor of Bradford , Ann Hurley regional co-ordinator Headway UK, Dr Rory O'Connor Consultant in rehabilitation Airedale hospital, Eileen Kennedy Consultant Neuropsychologist Airedale hospital, Steve Angus Bradford Head injury team & Julie Scott Chairperson Headway Bradford, Ann chaired the the proceedings with the Lord Mayor officially launching Headway Bradford. Each of the above gave a talk of the importance & the benefit which Headway Bradford will bring to the area, they all gave there full support. Julie ( chairperson ) rounded things up, it went as follows.

My Lord Mayor, Ladies & Gentleman. On behalf of all members of Headway Bradford I would like you all for turning up today & showing your support, I would also like to thank Dr Rory O'Connor, Eileen Kennedy & Steve Angus for giving up their time & helping us today. Could I also thank Hema Rana from Irwin Mitchell solicitors & Peter Stringer from Stewerts solicitors for doing the invitations, programmes & our very own Headway Bradford Leaflets. All I have mentioned, are here today because they like us believe in what we are doing. Until you live with a person who has sustained a brain injury you are unaware of the impact it has on the family once the brain injured person leaves hospital. The majority of traumatic brain injuries are males, this means for that person they will probably have gone from being the main provider, the backbone of the family, the one who cared for the family to one who has now to be cared for. They are still the same person in body so much so that other people who don't know them as well & who maybe in there company for an hour or so say " your looking good, back to your old self, great" & before you know it the family & friends who may have been their at the beginning filter away, leaving the brain injured person & the carer to get on with life as best they can. What isn't seen is the memory loss, the lack of understanding, the frustration, lack of confidence, emotional problems, mood swings & the isolation. Because they aren't the same person as before the frustration etc- is often taken out on the person who cares for them as in the song " you only hurt the one you love ". The carer may think there is only them in this situation ( I know I did at the time ) Headway Bradford exists today for this very reason, thanks to Steve Angus & the head injury team who got a few of us together on a 6wk course back in 2005 we have gone from strength to strength. We at Headway Bradford aim to help others whilst at the same time helping ourselves gain the knowledge & understanding in what each of us is going through. In the 6 months since Headway Bradford formed we have gained 27 members, all of which have carers & families. You can do your own calculations to give you an idea of how many are affected once a brain injury has been sustained. On a sad note, the invitations to our launch went out to every practice, every hospital, to all consultants in & around the Bradford & Airedale areas. We only received one reply that was to say they couldn't make it today. Not one came in acceptance, as far as I am aware no G.Ps surgeries are represented here today. You will no doubt by now understand that brain injury comes very low on the list of priorities in the Bradford & Airedale areas, Hence we need your help by way of spreading the word.

Since our launch, back in June where we had 27 members, To date 2.8.07 we now have 46 members, word is spreading, But we still need to carry on spreading the word, With help & the more people respond we can let the councillors & M.Ps of Bradford & Airedale know the reality of life as a person who has sustained a brain injury & those who care for them, needs to be acknowledged, Headway Bradford are aiming to have specialist help with referrals coming from our G.Ps & hospitals so once a victim leaves hospital they can receive the input they justly deserve via the Head Injury Team which is based at Bingley Town Hall, They do a wonderful job, working tirelessly with both the victim as well as the family & carers, the head injury team have 4 members of staff, unfortunately once a victim has been with them for two years this service subsides, again leaving the victim & family/carers with no professional support at all, Quite a number of people slip through the net & have never had the chance of having the experience & input of the Head injury team. Also if a person received a brain injury more than two years ago, the head injury team cannot work with them. Due to resources etc. ( none of the above is against the head injury team quite the opposite, we praise all they do, WE only hope with time there services & staff can be extended )
Again Headway Bradford is none judgmental, whether you received your injury decades since or just recently we are here,

Here we have a copy of our 1st Headway Bradford newsletter available online

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To view the current Headway national newsletter click here