Hi Everyone,

This April I am taking on the ultimate challenge of trekking and camping in the Sumatran Jungle! After taking part in the Great North Run twice and completing other charitable sporting events, I want to do something completely out of my comfort zone, and push myself both physically and mentally. The conditions I will be trekking in, and the terrain I will cover will be physically demanding, but the real challenge for me will be sleeping in the open, amongst some of the largest insects in the world – My biggest fear, and something I am sure that many people who know me would love to see!!

I am putting myself through this to raise funds for a very personal cause. I have chosen the Brain Research Trust which is a charity that works towards saving people’s lives, like my Dad’s.  

The week before Christmas 2011, my father sustained a severe Brain injury in a road traffic accident. This left him in a coma and minimally conscious state for 3 months, where the long term outcome was impossible to predict.  13 months on, despite suffering from conditions such as ataxia, dysphagia and aphasia, which are all making his recovery more difficult, he is determined to continue improving his physical capabilities with physio, speech and occupational therapy. Even though he is confined to a wheelchair and relies on full time care, his positive attitude is keeping him motivated for the future.

The journey up until now began on the 17 of December 2011, where I was awoken by two police men knocking at my door at 4am. I was told my Dad had been involved in a road traffic accident, and was in a critical state in intensive care. 

Several hours later, after travelling back from university in Newcastle I arrived at Leeds General Infirmary. I don’t think the severity of the words Intensive care and Critical state really hit me until I saw the faces of my family who had been there for the past few hours. It was only then that I realised my Dad was clinging onto his life, after obtaining a serious head injury when he was knocked over by a car.

It was hard to believe that less than 12 hours ago I had spoken to him and now I was looking at him motionless, wired up to a life support machine.

On entering the ward I was given a crash course on the use of every machine and was informed that scans revealed he had suffered a head trauma which had caused a brain stem bleed.

We were told the next 48 hours were crucial to his survival. During this period a burr hole was inserted to try and reduce the pressure in his brain due to excess fluid production.

After a few days, the medical staff wanted to see if my Dad would come around after being taken out of an induced coma. He didn’t. After several meetings with doctors who had taken further CT scans, and contemplated the possibility of my Dad suffering a stroke prior to the accident, it became apparent that the Doctors could do no more for him at this stage – a terrifying realisation. They were unable to take an MRI scan because of the tube that had been inserted into his head, which contained metal. He had also had undergone a tracheostomy, which also made this type of scan too risky.

It was all up to my Dad now, so we began the waiting game. A waiting game which lasted 3 months. 3 months to come out of is coma, through to a minimally conscious state, to eventually showing all the signs of being consciously aware of his environment and responding voluntary to questions.

Towards the end of the first month, my Dad began to show small signs of possible improvement. However we were told that everything was involuntary. His eyes were opening every so often, he made small twitches with his hand, and when the nurses completed the hourly pain response tests, they went from nothing, to abnormal movements.

These sorts of responses slowly progressed to him voluntarily blinking when asked by doctors, but for a while this was inconsistent. We continued to wait and hope for further improvements.

The possibility of permanent mental and physical problems was always looming, and tests showed that the latter was certainly going to be present if my Dad progressed into a conscious state. To almost confirm this, my Dad was fitted with a Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy which is a tube inserted directly into his stomach for liquidised food and fluid intake.

Whenever we visited we used to talk to him about what we had been up to, and talk about things we have done as a family, hoping this would stimulate reactions from him. The first real breakthrough happened a few days after he started being able to squeeze my hand if I asked him to, and blink when asked to, which was becoming much more consistent.

Being worried about potential memory loss, I decided one day to try a few simple tests to see his sort of reaction. I would ask him a question, such as what was the name of the restaurant we went to for my 21st Birthday, and I would say squeeze my hand when I get to the right answer. I would list a few places, then when I said the correct one, I felt my hand being gripped. This did not clarify that all was good with is cognitive skills, but it was certainly the biggest step forward we had had so far.

The hardest part of these first few months was being constantly reminded that my Dad may never get past each stage he was reaching. So he may have never progressed further than communicating through either blinking, or squeezing our hand. 

Again things progressed to him smiling at certain things we were talking about and he would smile when his friends had visited and he heard and recognised their voices for the first time. Gradually he started making small movements with his limbs, and was able to turn to which ever direction sound  directed at him came from. His eyes began to focus more on people that were talking to him and he was looking more and more like himself.

After a couple more weeks, doctors were sure he has entered a fully conscious state. This meant that he was able to respond to stimuli and was aware of his surroundings.

In March, my Dad had his tracheostomy tube removed. He slowly began communicating properly again and began receiving small amounts of physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. My Dad was sent to a rehabilitation ward for a further 3 months where this type of therapy increased, before returning home to be cared for by myself and mum.

With other difficulties during this period, such as my Dads mum passing away just 3 weeks after his accident and not being able to inform him until 4 months later, I still made the decision to continue with university and complete my final year. Juggling my assignments, returning home to visit the hospital every weekend whilst still being unsure of what the future held for my Dad was a very difficult time. However it was definitely worth it when my Dads first trip out was to my Graduation ceremony.

We were told from the beginning that brain injury recovery is slow and unpredictable. The only thing we can all do is stay positive for the future, stay motivated and thank everyone for the support they have given myself and my family.

Many people who enter the same intensive care ward as my Dad never make it out. Reflecting back on the past year and coming to understand the severity of his accident, I am so grateful every day to have him here. If it wasn’t for the immediate attention given to him and the operations which followed at the critical first stage, this could have been a very different story.

During the time my Dad was in hospital, I met many families who were not as fortunate as mine. I spoke to many other people whose loved ones had suffered head traumas, all that were experiencing different effects. I also met families who were visiting people suffering from neuro-degenerative conditions, where treatment isn’t always possible. This is why I want to raise money to support the work of the Brian Research Trust.

The money I raise will contribute to vital funds which will enable life-saving research for brain injury victims to continue, and reduce the fatalities of people who suffer acquired or traumatic brain injuries. The Brain Research Trust is continually discovering new mechanisms to improve the quality of life for brain injury sufferers, with the ultimate aim of generating the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases and conditions. The research aims to benefit millions of people in communities across the UK, my father of which is one.

Thank you to everyone for all their support and encouragement. Any donations would be greatly appreciated, and will contribute towards saving lives.

Love,

Katy X

 

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