Award hope for head injury pair

By Sue Paz BBC Dorset

Two brain injury awareness campaigners from Dorset have been nominated for a national award.

Wendy Morrell, from Broadstone, and 15-year-old Tom Kelly from West Parley are two of only three finalists in the Campaigner of the Year category.

It is part of the annual awards run by Headway - the brain injury association.

Wendy has suffered a brain injury, while Tom's mum encouraged him to get involved with the organisation after catching him cycling without a helmet.

Wendy's story

Wendy has had to "relearn so many life skills" in order to rebuild her life

In 1989, Wendy was training with the national archery squad with a view to competing at the Barcelona Paralympic games.

Wendy was already a wheelchair user at the time, as she has a condition called algodystrophy [a disturbance of growth, particularly in bone and cartilage, that causes pain - Wendy's knee was affected].

At that time, she held two national archery records in the disabled category.

Wendy said: "I was quite an active person, as well as being an archer, I was a teacher and a pilot."

However, tragedy struck when Wendy was hit by a discus in the left side of her head.

She said: "The life that I knew at the time of the accident ceased, and since then I have to relearn so many life skills.

"It's like having to start again."

"Frustrating"

Wendy sustained a serious brain injury and was in hospital for 11 months, followed by several years of physical and cognitive rehabilitation.

Her concentration, short term memory, organisation and balance are affected and Wendy also has epilepsy as a result of the accident.

Twenty years on from her accident Wendy finds it "surprising" that she still gets comments like, 'You don't look like you've got a brain injury'.

She said: "It leaves me wondering what people think a brain injury must look like.

Wendy's assistance dog can detect when she is about to have a seizure

"For a lot of people the affects of a brain injury can be quite subtle.

"The sorts of errors made after a brain injury are similar to what everybody does occasionally - like losing keys - but they make those mistakes time and time again.

"It can be very frustrating."

With the help of Headway West Suffolk, Wendy has managed to rebuild her life.

Her confidence and independence was also "boosted" nine years ago by the arrival of Caesar, an assistance dog.

He has become a constant companion and vital source of help to Wendy, helping to retrieve items she may have misplaced.

Caesar can also detect when Wendy is about to have an epileptic fit.

Helping others

As Wendy's confidence grew, so did her desire to help other people.

She began campaigning on behalf of people with disability, particularly those with brain injury, for better access and inclusion in society.

Over the past few years, Wendy has travelled the world to campaign on a variety of disability issues and spent three years as a member of The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee at the Department for Transport.

She also carried the Olympic torch across London Bridge in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games.

On being nominated for the award, Wendy said: "I am thrilled to be a finalist.

"I remember how I felt when I was first coming to terms with my brain injury - the sense of isolation was hard to accept and I want to do all I can to help others in similar situations.

"I am determined to do all I can to prove there is life after brain injury."

Tom's story

Wendy will be competing for the title of Campaigner of the Year with 15-year-old West Parley schoolboy Tom Kelly.

Tom, a student at Ferndown Upper School, has been nominated for helping Headway Dorset raise awareness of the importance of wearing a helmet while cycling.

He has also raised more than £1,300 for the group in the past year.

Tom began campaigning to raise awareness of brain injury in 2008 after his mum caught him cycling home from school without a helmet.

Realising she could not convince him on her own to wear his helmet, she contacted Headway Dorset and arranged for Tom to meet service users directly affected by brain injury.

Tom "can't wait" for the awards' ceremony in London

One of the Headway service users, Alex Mottram, explained to Tom that he sustained his brain injury as a teenager when he fell off his bike.

Alex's personal testimony was a powerful demonstration of how a brain injury can have devastating and lifelong effects.

Tom was so "moved" by what he learnt that not only did he vow never to get on his cycle without a helmet again, he also makes sure that his friends do the same.

Tom teamed up with local police officer Simon Lee to complete a 50km cycle ride for the charity.

He is now planning more fundraising events, including a sponsored ride of Hadrian's Wall.

Kath Baker from Headway Dorset said: "Tom is an outstanding young man.

"It is so rare for someone so young to show such determination to help others and raise awareness of serious issues like brain injury.

"We are all very proud of him."

Eye opening experience

Tom is "thrilled" to be a finalist in the awards - partly because it means a day off school to go to London.

He said: "I didn't even know I'd been nominated. I was asked to come out of class to go to the deputy head's office and I thought I was in trouble before I saw Kath smiling at me.

"Meeting people with brain injuries at Headway Dorset really opened my eyes.

"It can take just a moment to have one slip or an accident on your bike, and that one time you choose not to wear a helmet could change your life and the lives of those around you forever - it's just not worth it.

"I can't wait to go to London for the ceremony. I'll be very proud and it will be very exciting."

The Volunteer of the Year and Carer of the Year will be named at a ceremony at The Dorchester Hotel in London on 10 December, along with awards for the Achiever of the Year and Campaigner of the Year.

The ceremony will also see ten people presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards to celebrate Headway's 30th anniversary.

For more information visit:

Headway