John had a CVA (stroke) on the 31st May 2014 and before COVID-19 would attend our Day Service once a week.
In February 2020, John was diagnosed with Giant Cell Arteritis and has been on a very high dose of steroids. Then the pandemic hit which meant he had to shield for months, as did his family in order to keep him safe. which meant wife Gemma and their teenage daughter also had to shield.
"As you can imagine with no school and myself being furloughed from work. John had us all at home, myself and our teenage daughter. Which was very different to his normal routine of being on his own. So having access to the Digital Day Centre for John has been amazing."
Gemma, John's wife
Headway has always given John fantastic support during the time he has been a member with them. However during lockdown their support has become a life changer. The change in my husband has been incredible, which has had a positive and therefore huge impact on us all as a family. Headway has been very clever with the sessions that have developed, as these have focused on so many different areas and topics.”
John has been a regular attendee various sessions throughout lockdown including our Occupational Therapy Group, Grand Tour of Everything, and more recent our two new groups Lockdown Lyrics and Backrow Banter.
During the OT sessions, members had to chose a film they would take if they were stranded on a desert island, John’s was Raiders of the Lost Arc!
Gemma has been attending our #CarersConnect group since it launched in September. Their daughter Lily also attends the weekly group held each Thursday evening. Together they have enjoyed various workshops we have provided for carers including a Christmas Wreath Workshop, Kintsugi with Pippa Pixley and a bespoke ceramics workshop.
"The support and care they have given to me and my daughter as carers has been huge. The carers group has been a lifeline for me. For the first time in seven years since my husbands brain injury I no longer feel alone. I now have a place where I feel free to talk and support others. There is just one word to describe Headway and that is Amazing".
Gemma
If you can, please donate to our Life In Lockdown campaign and so we are there for new members and their families like John, Gemma and Lil.