Today we’re sharing Melissa’s story as told by her mum Barbara…
 |
| Melissa with her artwork from our youth group's graffiti workshop. |
“Two years ago my world was turned upside down, when my daughter Melissa, age 8, was knocked down coming home from school. Melissa was in a coma, she suffered 5 bleeds on the brain which led to a brain injury.
We were told to say our goodbyes that day, there was little hope. But our little princess was a fighter. She came out of her coma and all we could do was wait and see if she would fully recover. Anybody that knows Melissa is well aware that she likes to talk. I just could not imagine how she would be not being able to chat. Very quickly she began to walk, talk, feed herself. It was like a miracle. We were getting our little girl back.”
When she was discharged from hospital, the Child Brain injury Trust became involved, giving support to Melissa and the family, "We did not acknowledge the support at the beginning as we believed Melissa was fine and we would just get on with it all.
Gradually, issues started to arise at school and Melissa was becoming so unhappy and lonely. This broke my heart. She was aware that she was different from before the accident. This was the stage that we realised we needed help and support."The Child Brain Injury Trust has helped us and the school to recognise Melissa’s needs. Their specialist staff go into schools and train the teachers and work with other children to give them a better understanding. They also have awareness days for professionals and will be involved with Melissa all through school.
The staff at the Child Brain Injury Trust have been a valuable support and continue to be. Melissa had also gone through early puberty as a result of the brain injury and the charity supported us to support her with this in a child-friendly way. We have now accepted that we will not know the final outcome until she is 21.”
If you would like support, please call our helpline on 0303 303 2248.
For more information on childhood brain injury, visit our website.
If you’d like to get involved with supporting our work, please email Emily Honey.
