 Over seven years ago, Michelle from Runcorn, Lancashire, was working as a carer, helping people with complex needs. Now she is the one receiving the care and support from Lifeways, who are helping her to piece her life back together after a serious car accident.
Michelle visited her father in New York to tell him some exciting news. She had just got engaged and wanted to share her joy with her family. However, Michelle’s celebration was short-lived as she and her father were involved in a devastating car accident, which nearly took her life. Even though her father was unharmed, Michelle’s injuries were so severe that her heart stopped twice.
As a result of her brain injuries, doctors said it was unlikely that Michelle would ever walk, talk or even feed herself again. She woke up from her coma 11 months after the accident to discover the extent of her injuries.
Michelle said: “I remember waking up and not being able to move. I had to push myself to get better because I was determined that I was not going to spend the rest of my life in that condition.”
After spending 12 months in a New York hospital, Michelle was finally allowed to travel home where she continued her treatment at Holton Hospital in Runcorn, and eventually began to walk and talk again.
Michelle said: “One of my main goals is to go back to that doctor who said I’ll never be able to walk and talk and show him what I can do. I feel really proud of myself because I have beaten the odds.” Having defied some of her biggest challenges so far, Michelle still has a long way to go.
As a result of her brain injury, Michelle suffers from short term memory loss, which has caused her to have difficulty concentrating and for her speech to be impaired.
Having been supported by Lifeways for the last six years, Michelle is now well on her way to achieving her goal for greater independence. Michelle said: “I really appreciate the support I have been given by Lifeways. I now feel more able to do things on my own. I’m currently working up to spending the night by myself and then hopefully leaving the house on my own. Considering I was told a few years ago that it was unlikely that I would even be able to feed myself, it’s a really big achievement.” |
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