Emilia and Jenny receive their MBE awards at Windsor Castle
SameYou co-founders Emilia and Jenny Clarke attended Windsor Castle today to receive their MBE awards for services to People with Brain Injuries.
The investiture ceremony was led by The Prince of Wales who presented the Medal of the Order of the British Empire gongs to actor Emilia and her mum, Jenny, which are awarded to mark outstanding achievements and service.
Emilia survived two life-threatening brain haemorrhages while working on Game of Thrones. When she shared her story, thousands of young survivors around the world finally spoke about their own battles and revealed that access to rehabilitation is shockingly inadequate and it must be made available to those who need it.
SameYou’s mission is to pilot recovery innovations that bring immediate benefits to brain injury survivors and their families. It operates with a small team and works with powerful partners globally to launch ground-breaking therapies and lead vital research into brain injury that wouldn’t be funded otherwise.
It has now launched a major appeal to help change the face of rehabilitation. It is looking for support to continue to treat more people with its pioneering group rehabilitation programme called Neurorehabilitation Online (NROL).
Almost 1,000 patients have gone through this programme so far which has revealed life-changing results. It is operated in real time via Teams, delivered by the NHS in London and Lancashire and is funded by SameYou.
It is asking for a donation of just £10 that would help to buy a rehabilitation session for a brain injury survivor – with a vision to rolling NROL out further into the UK.
The NROL programme is made up of ten important components including physiotherapy, advice on how to live well, support for cognitive communication difficulties, ways to improve speech and a ‘café’ group for support and discussion.
This one-to-many model means it is cost-effective and ensures therapists can treat more patients – and deliver outstanding outcomes.
Jenny says: “It is essential that we change how rehabilitation is delivered for brain injury survivors. Sadly, we know there are too few health professionals who are working desperately hard to help change the lives of survivors. There is also not enough investment to give survivors the support – and hope – they need for their own recovery.
“Please support our appeal and help us to dramatically improve rehabilitation for the 1 in 3 who will have a brain injury at some point in their lifetime.”