Portrait: Sanna

A little bit about Sanna

My name is Sanna, I am 29 years old and I am from Finland. I had a bike accident on my way to work in spring 2020. It resulted in a skull fracture and two brain bleeds that were operated on. I got a moderate brain injury. One of my biggest challenges was that I had to learn to speak again.

The symptoms that I have to manage

The three most annoying symptoms that remain are fatigue, headaches and short-term memory difficulties.

The people involved in my recovery

Neurologists and neuropsychologists were the most important people in my rehabilitation. My family also played an important part in my recovery.

The ups and downs of recovery

My hobbies are walking with my dogs and going to the gym as much as I can. Being able to speak again and getting back to work part-time were important moments in my rehabilitation. Comparing myself to my former self has been a weak part of rehabilitation. The invisible nature of a brain injury, makes it hard for people to understand. From their perspective, nothing appears to be wrong. Having to learn to live with cognitive problems is a big challenge.

My advice to other survivors

My advice to other survivors is that you are not alone and that life should be enjoyed and lived in the moment.

Brain injury does not define you and you learn to live with it.

A saying that helped me throughout recovery is “live in the moment, enjoy the small achievements and don't compare yourself to others”.

At SameYou, we’re on a mission to help and support brain injury survivors, because we know that brain injury doesn’t just affect the brain, but the whole person. Will you join our community today to help spread the word, become an activist and support the work we do by donating to us?