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Regaining Independence

In August 2009, when Amber was just 19 and studying psychology at Southampton
University, she sustained a severe brain injury caused by multiple strokes. This resulted in significant communication,
physical, cognitive, emotional, social and educational/vocational difficulties.

Amber came to QEF Neuro Rehabilitation Services in February 2010 confined to a wheelchair, had severe expressive dysphasia and required assistance with most activities. She made substantial progress through a variety of intensive therapies and can now walk without a walking aid and uses public transport with distant support.

Amber has also moved into an independent living unit where, with support, she is responsible for completing her personal care routine, planning and preparing meals, shopping and domestic tasks.

Amber has worked hard towards developing her communication skills and reading ability and her comprehension
of written information is improving rapidly. She has difficulty in comprehending complex written information but has

focused on developing her literacy and numeracy.

Although Amber is unlikely to return to her former studies, she is striving towards further education and work
experience. She has shown great courage, ambition and motivation in dealing with her stroke and subsequent difficulties.
Continued hard work and enthusiasm has resulted in active participation within the activities of daily living and she
is a role model for other young stroke survivors.

For more information visit www.qef.org.uk

A home-from-home for our injured troops and families

Shareen’s Story

On October 1st 2011, Nick Franklin bid his wife Shareen and baby son Jenson farewell
as he set off for his first tour of duty inAfghanistan.

Shareen recalls, “It was awful. I was unable to face a final goodbye. From then on, my phone was always fully charged and at my side, night and day,” says Shareen. “Each of our conversations finished with, ‘you do realise how much I love you, don’t
you?’”.

On November 1st 2011, Nick had been on patrol when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast blew his lower left leg off, broke his right hand and severely damaged his right leg.

Days after Nick was injured, he was flown to the UK. Initially Shareen was forced to stay in the hospital wing at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham which could not accommodate their son Jenson. “I was being forced to choose between
my husband and my son,” she says.

“When I was told a room was available at the SSAFA Norton House, it was such a relief.
Nick’s first words when he opened his eyes were: “where’s Jenson?” Having Jenson around, playing with him and making him laugh has helped Nick so much,” says Shareen. Staying at SSAFA Norton House allowed the family to be together
every day at time when they needed to be most.

The SSAFA Norton Home’s in Surrey near to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, Surrey, and near to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak, Birmingham, enable injured Service personnel and their families to be together. They stay
there for free and for as long as they need to. SSAFA Norton Home staff are also on hand to support the families.

“Just being able to talk to someone at the end of the day who can relate to you helps so much. Sometimes I came back after a bad day, when Nick had been down, in pain or snappy, and usually there would be someone around who could reassure me
everything was normal,” says Shareen.

The donations we receive help to pay for the running and maintenance costs of our two homes-from-home. It costs SSAFA Forces Help £60 for a family of three to stay there for one night at a SSAFA Norton House. Every year, more than 500
family members, including injured Service personnel, stay for free at our SSAFA Norton Homes, some for as long as five weeks.

For more information on how your gifts help to support SSAFA Forces Help’ vital work and especially our Armed Forces community in times of real need, please visit www.ssafa.org.uk

Leonard Cheshire Disability –

Supporting our residents’ needs

We support many people with acquired brain injuries at our specialised units, but also within
many of our care homes. Fleur lives at St Teresa’s, our care home inPenzance and told us about how she moved here.

Fleur was 38 when she fell down the stairs and was left with a severe brain injury. She was taken
to a residential home, but her recovery was slow. Fleur was then taken to St Teresa’s where she
has received one-to-one rehabilitation which is tailored to her needs.

Thisincludes speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.
She has also received training to re-learn every day skills such as showering, dressing and making her own meals.

Fleur told us, “St Teresa’s has been invaluable in supporting me to be self-sufficient and learn
the skills I need to live on my own. Support is here from staff when I need it, but I am also able to make decisions for myself on how I live my life.”

Having the right support has enabled Teresa to enjoy life again. She is very creative, she can often be found attending to the garden, or in the day centre doing arts and crafts activities.

Fleur is determined to rebuild her life and with the support of her family and the staff at St Teresa’s she is making great progress. She hopes to leave St Teresa’s very soon and move into a fully accessible house, which will give her more
independence.

Wendy and Colin's Story

Livability was raising funds early this year in our Plan for Living appeal in order to install wheelchair accessible showers
and accessible kitchens. There is more to these simple adaptations than the simple practical aspects of installing kitchens or refitting bathrooms.

The effect these adaptations can have on disabled people’s lives is astounding.

Residents of Dolphin Court Wendy and Colin were one of the first to have a converted bathroom. Here they tell us their
story before and after having a wheelchair accessible shower.

Colin and Wendy have known each other for many years and seven years ago Colin decided to move to Dolphin Court as he
knew Wendy enjoys living there. Four years ago they were married and have been living together in Dolphin Court’s double flat ever since. They are both enjoying married life in their flat but they found it very frustrating that they had to use a communal bathroom. Every morning there was a bottleneck of residents who wanted to shower before leaving the home. Therefore residents had to wait their turn and then have to hurry so the next person can shower.

Now they have a wheelchair accessible shower in their flatlet it means they have a lot more independence and freedom.

They said ‘Finally we feel like a married couple with our own, proper bathroom. We have much better privacy for both of us!’ This is a powerful testimony to how relatively simple adaptations can have life-changing impact.

From our Plan for Living appeal we raised almost £52,000. This is enough funds to refit eleven bathrooms or four kitchens
which form part of our most pressing projects across eight residential homes up and down the country from which up to 50 residents will benefit.

Five Charities, who together, promote independence for disabled people through tax effective giving.