Andy's Story:

14 years ago, Andy acquired a serious brain injury when he was knocked off his bicycle.

Before his accident, Andy was a keen mountaineer who has scaled El Capitan in Yosemite National Park but, in a sense he now faces his biggest challenge yet.

Andy had already made amazing progress.  He has regained some movement and improved his posture. In the last two years Andy has regained greater autonomy in daily life, starting with his active pursuit of his goal to lose weight which has risen substantially due to his injuries. He now plans his own menus every month and prepares his food weekly with the Occupational Therapy team. He has so far achieved a total weight loss of 25kg and is now independent in accessing the local community in his powered wheelchair to buy these ingredients. He is frequently seen on the promenade heading to Worthing town centre or to a chosen restaurant on good-weather days.

With the achievement of his personal goals he remained motivated to succeed in other areas; he has a keen interest in computing and now volunteers to maintain another organisation’s website.  He also hosts the ‘Classical Music Appreciation Group’ every Friday morning for other residents and is planning another presentation of his past mountaineering pursuits.

Although he still requires support from staff, with continued rehabilitation from the QAHH staff and his own hard work, these improvements will continue.

With your help, our country’s disabled veterans can learn to walk again in our physiotherapy department, find their voice through communication therapy and re-learn everyday skills such as cooking and washing, enabling them to live with the independence and dignity they deserve.

£8 would enable residents to benefit from a group physiotherapy session

£17 would enable someone like Mike by providing a communication therapy session

£25 would help someone like Mark by providing a physiotherapy session

£46 would help someone like Andy by providing a cookery lesson