Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me Julie Mueller Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury Julie Mueller The support was crucial Julie Mueller has nothing but praise for the Headway Emergency Fund after her son, Luke, sustained a brain injury in August 2020. “I woke up at 4am to missed calls from Luke’s then-girlfriend, also the police on the Isle of Skye and Aberdeen Royal infirmary,” explained Julie. “I spoke with a nurse from the intensive care unit and was told my son had fallen 100ft, hit his head and broken both his legs. “Understandably I was shocked and extremely worried, it felt very surreal to be woken with the news in the middle of the night, it is every parent’s worst nightmare. “A phone call later in the morning from a doctor revealed that Luke had undergone surgery to repair his legs and was stable but the head injury, which he called a ‘diffuse axonal injury’, was of major concern and Luke was heavily sedated. “They were not sure how he would be when he eventually woke up and gave it to us straight: it was a case of ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst’. “We live in Warrington – 350 miles from Aberdeen. We were unsure of how we could possibly get our large family up there, where we could stay or even if we would be allowed to enter Aberdeen because of the lockdown restrictions there. Having to deal with this on top of the worry for Luke was terrible but we wanted to be by Luke’s side immediately and there was no doubt that we would all go.” A doctor friend told the family about the support available from Headway, which proved to be invaluable. “Luke’s brother initially checked the website for more information about head injuries, looking to provide some answers and cut through all of the unknown. He stumbled upon the grant that was available and convinced me to apply as the financial burden was increasing with every day we spent up in Aberdeen. “The financial support was crucial and helped immensely. It was a huge relief to have one less thing to worry about and all our efforts could be spent supporting Luke in his recovery. “The grant allowed me to stay in Aberdeen until Luke was well enough to be transferred to a hospital closer to home. In total I stayed in Aberdeen for four weeks. With a brain injury I believe that familiar faces and voices were a huge part of reassuring him when he was first waking up in a strange environment, so I was glad to have the opportunity. “To any others facing a similar situation, I would say for them to make use of the brilliant resources on the Headway website. They provided some clarity and reassurance in a stressful time. Take all the help that is offered so that you can focus your strength on supporting your injured family member. Back to stories index Headway Emergency Fund The Emergency Fund provides grants of up to £500 in the immediate aftermath of brain injury. Find out more Supporting you From local groups or branches, our Emergency Fund, Brain Injury Identity Card, helpline and much more, find out how Headway can support you after brain injury. Find out more Celebrating 10 years of the Headway Emergency Fund Headway is celebrating ten years of its Emergency Fund, which provides grants to families facing the immediate aftermath of brain injury. Find out more Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings