BBC backs our brain injury survivor’s face shield appeal for NHS!

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BBC backs our brain injury survivor’s face shield appeal for NHS!

Brain injury survivor, Demelza Fry will be talking about her campaign to support frontline Covid-19 workers in a BBC Radio interview this weekend.

The Krysalis neuro occupational therapy client is coordinating a GoFundMe appeal to supply urgently needed face shields to key medical and care workers.

Demelza, 42, sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a pedestrian in a horrific road accident in 2016 when she was hit by a car and it rolled over, crushing her.

She says she “owes her life” to the NHS and those who have supported her in her on-going recovery since the accident.

Demelza, who lives in Brighton, will be highlighting her campaign with presenter, Joe Talbot on both BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey.

She has also launched a new Facebook page - Face Shields of Sussex – which shows pictures of staff wearing the face shields provided via the appeal.

So far, Demelza and a small number of volunteers have distributed face shields across East and West Sussex to staff in:

 

  • Hospitals
  • Care Homes
  • Nursing homes
  • Homeless shelters

 

However, she’s now appealing for extra help in the following ways: 

 

  • More donations
  • More people to share the GoFundMe link
  • More people to help assemble the face shields from home
  • More people to help coordinate the distribution
  • Help to find a company that can sanitise the face shields in Sussex

 

      A big thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. It has potentially saved the lives of many      

Demelza 

 

Demelza will be on air on Saturday at 03.45pm on BBC Radio Sussex (104.5, 104.8 & 95.0–95.3 FM or www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_sussex) and BBC Radio Surrey (104.0 & 104.6 FM or www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_surrey)

You can help here:

To donate or offer practical support, please contact Demelza via the appeal site here Go fund me - Demelza's mission or the Facebook page here Facebook page - Face shields of Sussex

Krysalis has been providing neurological occupational therapy to Demelza to support her brain injury recovery since January 2019.

Downloadable Covid-19 resources for brain injury survivors and their families during the pandemic are available here: Krysalis Covid-19 resources

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No. 50: A starter for 10!

A national blueprint for innovative, holistic rehabilitation to help patients return to an acceptable level ofindependence after hospital has marked its 10th anniversary in New Zealand. Watch and learn about START (Supported Transfer Accelerated Rehabilitation Team) here: Voxy

No. 49: I immediately assumed the blood-thinning drugs had caused a bleed in the brain but what we discovered was unlike anything we have seen before.”Neurologist, Dr Arvind Chandratheva.

Experts at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) explain to the nation the devastating effects of Covid-19 on the brain in a special BBC news report , with input from OT, Kate Kelly and brain injury charity, SameYou. More startling revelations here: https://www.uclh.nhs.uk/News/Pages/BBCatNHNN.aspx

No. 48: TBI + AI = AA. Explain.

2020 Aesculap Award (AA) winner, Dr Raj Rahul has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to help monitor and predict outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Finer points of the Finnish findings here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/health-news/artificial-intelligence-based-algorithm-for-intensive-care-of-severe-traumatic-brain-injury and https://www.eans.org/news/510558/Congratulations-to-the-winners-of-the-AesculapAward-2020.htm

No. 47: Simply brilliant!

Amid the chaos of Covid-19 this year, calm has often been restored by the astute response of occupational therapists such as Sarah Dove of Scotland’s NHS Forth Valley. Common sense creates staff and patient smiles here: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/nhs-forth-valley-therapists-blue-22127374

No. 46: Swell new treatment!

A new treatment to dramatically reduce swelling after brain and spinal cord injuries offers hope to 75 million survivors worldwide each year, thanks to an international research team including Aston, Birmingham and Wolverhampton universities: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/inflammation-ageing/news/2020/05/cell-pores-discovery.aspx

No. 45: #RightToRehab rules!

Making a big impact on brain injury rehabilitation through fund-raising, therapy consulting and volunteering for Headway – the brain injury association earned a top accolade for Cambridge University student, Andrea Kusachttp://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/blog/2020/05/vice-chancellor-social-impact-awardee-2020-andrea-kusec/

No. 44: Masters of motivation!

Learning difficulties and an attack of Covid-19 called for emergency OT action when an Essex pensioner started losing the will to walk. Step this way for another inspiring story: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/engineer-thanks-therapists-for-helping-his-71-year-old-brother-to-walk-again-after-covid/

No. 43:  "If someone else picks up my book and feels how I felt - if my book can reach one person - then that's a positive”

When OT, Ally Parkes was diagnosed with a brain tumour, she was just 31 with a newborn, a two-year-old and a lovely hubby. Her resilience over the next 10 years resulted in a debut novel to help others. Read more here: https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/lifestyle/ally-draws-on-trauma-of-living-with-brain-tumour-for-10-years-for-debut-novel-9125944/ and https://allyparkes.simdif.com/

No. 42: Ruth’s intense work-out!

OT, Ruth Tyerman’s tireless endeavors in brain injury rehabilitation, including the award-winning Working Out vocational rehabilitation programme, earned her the RCOT’s highest honour. Rounds of applause to Ruth here: https://www.rcot.co.uk/rcot-celebration-excellence-occupational-therapy-awards-2020

No. 41: Top of the teachers! 

Pursuing perfection in OT pedagogic practice became a professional goal for Dr Ruth Heames early in her career, and now her diligence has earned her the second of the RCOT’s 2020 top awards. A fellow well met here: https://www.rcot.co.uk/rcot-celebration-excellence-occupational-therapy-awards-2020