This year we will be lighting up the front of the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) to spread festive cheer and joy to our patients, their families, staff and the local community. Whether you donate on our JustGiving page, sponsor a snowflake or visit our display, your support will help us to fund our much needed Leisure and Family Services which provides a rich programme of recreational and social activities for people cared for at the hospital.

Noah’s Story

Noah was out celebrating a friend’s birthday when he leaned against the promenade railing on Brighton seafront. The 18 year old lost his balance, fell backwards and hit the ground ten metres below.

Noah was transferred from an acute hospital to the RHN, a specialist in care and rehabilitation for adults living with life changing brain injury and illness to begin his rehabilitation. On arriving, he progressed quickly in a short period of time.

“All of the staff here have been amazing. I’ve done a lot of work with the physiotherapy team, and I have built up enough strength to have two sessions of physio a day. I practice my walking, balancing and even a bit of weight training. When I first arrived, I couldn’t walk at all.”

Noah has also benefitted from speech and language therapy (SLT), having progressed from a communications board, to speaking.

“The SLT has helped me with other things too, like my ability to eat. I’m due to move off pureed foods and onto and bite-sized foods. I’ve had a few occupational therapy (OT) sessions where they’ve taught me how to make soup, curries and pizza, but I’m really looking forward to being able to eat lasagne again!”

During his time at the RHN, Noah wrote a song about his experience in music therapy and, as a keen rugby fan, has taken five trips to watch matches at Harlequins rugby stadium in Twickenham. 

Noah is able to spend Christmas at home with his family after an OT assessment of his home and the RHN provided ambulance driver training to his dad.

“I’m looking forward to being able to go back home. In the future, I hope I’ll be able to go to university to study business and marketing, and then eat as much food as possible!”

Leisure and Family Services

Most long-term residents at the RHN are wheel-chair bound and dependent on others for daily needs. Without organised, specially adapted leisure provision, many find it difficult to participate in activities they enjoy and to discover new interests. They would have less opportunities to interact with others, with a negative impact on their quality of life.

Our patients and residents are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, and they have been largely confined to their ward since the pandemic began for their safety, with visits from families restricted or suspended during lockdowns. To boost the morale of residents at this difficult time and support them to pursue their interests, we have introduced safe, socially distanced ward-based activities in our long-term care wards. This includes the disability sport Boccia and wheelchair basketball; art, art activities, music events and film screenings.

Over the past 18 months our patients and residents, like everyone else have missed being able to see loved ones and socialising with friends. This is why it is so important that we are able to provide enriching experiences and activities through our Leisure and Family Services.

After months of lonely isolation and limited community engagement, help us to let it snow this Christmas, and create magical experiences for our patients.

Thank you so much for your support.

If you would like to find out more about sponsoring a snowflake, please email corporates@rhn.org.uk