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Headway is the UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury. This charity is close to our hearts, due to our close friend Joe's girlfriend Emily suffering with a brain injury.

In June 2023, Emily was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour. She underwent surgery in the same month, which helped her for a period of time, but shortly after the symptoms reoccurred and the decision was made that Emily needed more invasive surgery in late September.

Initially, the signs were good and the second surgery appeared to have been successful. However, in the following days things began to go downhill with complications caused by Emily’s body and brains reaction to the surgery. This led to Emily being admitted to critical care and put on a ventilator.

6 weeks and several more operations later, in order to try and establish the cause of the problems and stabilise the situation, Emily moved from critical care to a neuro specialist ward where she then spent a further 8 weeks. Within this 8 week period, Emily was still going back and forth to theatre for further operations.

Things are now starting to move in the right direction and Emily is awaiting a place at the rehabilitation unit where she will undergo strict and intense physical and neurological rehab to try and get her back to the Emily she was before the tumour. However, this is likely to again be a very lengthy process.

Brain injury can challenge every aspect of your life – walking, talking, thinking and feeling – and the losses can be severe and permanent. It can mean losing both the life you once lived and the person you once were.

On the 14th April, myself, Conor, Liam, Dan, Louis and Jacob will be running the Lake Garda Half Marathon. It would mean a lot to us if we're able to raise money for Headway who are supporting Emily, Joe and their families during Emily’s rehabilitation from her brain injury.