On the 31st July 2002, my 15-year-old brother fell from the back of a moving pickup truck while on work experience and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. He was taken to Addenbrookes hospital where he was placed in a coma fighting for his life. He underwent a life saving bifrontal craniotomy operation to remove a large section of his skull to relieve the pressure on his brain. This event destroyed his life and the world as he knew it. It also had a massive impact upon his family, friends and loved ones. His care in hospital was amazing and thankfully after a month, he was discharged from hospital and continued his road to recovery in the community. Due to the accident being caused by a negligent employer, we were able to persue a personal injury claim and therefore compensation funds were available to pay for rehabilitation services.

The majority of people who suffer from a brain injury, major trauma and spinal injury, do not have the benefit of having litigation funds to pay for good quality rehabilitation services or funding for a carer or support worker to assist them in daily life. I find that fact very upsetting, as the same amount of input is needed for the person and their family regardless of how the injury/ies were sustained.

Recovering from a serious injury is tough! It requires grit, inner strength and support from loved ones and professional rehabilitation therapists. The NHS does a great job of saving peoples lives but after hospital release, it is a completely different story. Help is scarce, difficult to access and private rehabilitation services are expensive! Anyone that has been through, or witnessed another's journey recovering from a life changing injury knows how important it is to get timely and appropriate aftercare, rehabilitation and support from experienced and knowledgeable people.

This is why charities, such as P.A.U.L for Brain Recovery and Day One Trauma are necessary for providing essential support, funding and signposting to help people reach their rehabilitation potential.

I am the founder and director of Chrysalis Case Management. My job role is a brain injury case manager is to organise, oversee and manage a full rehabilitation package of care for my clients. We also employ support staff and carers, as well as liaise with Local Authorities and the NHS to gain appropriate funding towards the cost of such. I know that in order to give a person the best opportunity of living a fulfilling life, there has to be a holistic approach to rehabilitation which not only includes the provision of therapy, but also which enables the person to enjoy hobbies, meaningful activity, and create new social connections, nurture existing ones as well as keep their body and mind functioning optimally by exercising (as far as the injury allows) eating good food and spending time outdoors in the fresh air and natural environment.

It would be fantastic if you could please help us to reach our fundraising target, so we can help as many people as possible who have been affected by brain injury and trauma. Having first hand experience of the devastation that causes to an individual and their family, showing your support by donating any amount which is affordable, means a lot.

Thank you in advance!