Portrait: Catherine's mum Mimi
This story is about my mum, Mimi, who sadly passed away in August last year following a long battle with a brain injury.
My mum, suffered a life-changing stroke in June 2018 (when she was 53) after being diagnosed with a rare vasculitis. This initially left her paralysed on one side, unable to communicate verbally and she experienced frequent seizures. Luckily her speech and weakness slowly improved over the following weeks and months, thanks to the help and support from our local hospital's amazing doctors and therapy teams.
Challenges experienced following brain injury
My mum became almost completely physically independent, but cognitively she really struggled with the after-effects of such a significant event. Her personality started to change, and she had difficulty communicating, which was incredibly frustrating for her, and this also impacted her mental health hugely.
The lows: What’s missing in the recovery journey and ways it could be overcome?
SameYou and its values mean a lot to me and my family, as we have realised through this experience, the recovery can be long, and that there is often little support for survivors of this (often devastating) condition. I think it is really important to raise awareness of brain injury and the rehabilitation process, and to give people a chance to speak up and share their stories.
Moving forward
My mum was such an active, healthy, happy person prior to her stroke, and she always really enjoyed running. I am so looking forward to the challenge of a half-marathon, especially to raise money for such an amazing cause, very close to my heart.
Thank you to Catherine for sharing her story and a huge congratulations on running the London Landmarks Half Marathon for us in 2 hours - a brilliant time. It was wonderful to meet you and all of your friends supporting you on the day. If you would like to support Catherine by donating, click here.
