Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me Christina Sweeney Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury Christina Sweeney After the accident, poetry helped me to express my emotions and reconnect with my old self. After a brain injury in 2004 wiped out almost two decades of memories for Christina Sweeney, she didn’t know if life would ever be the same again. She was a typical teenager, enjoyed a lively social life and was a lover of poetry and literature. But at just 17-years old, Christina was involved in a near-fatal road traffic collision which left her with severe memory loss. She didn’t know whether she’d ever be able to walk or talk again, and her prospects for the future looked bleak. Thankfully, Christina pulled through. Despite losing some of her most precious and important memories, Christina never forgot how to write poetry. She said: “After the accident, poetry helped me to express my emotions and reconnect with my old self. “Poetry is important to me because I feel it is a strong and creative way to communicate. It is a brilliant way for people to see my points of view and learn from them.” Christina, now 33, credits poetry for helping her come to terms with her memory loss. “I was inspired to write poetry as a way of staying in touch with one of my pre-accident abilities,” she said. I’ve forgotten 17 years of my life but found that I could still write, so I like to use this ability. I am inspired by seeing how powerful words can be. Christina is supported by her local Headway group in Portsmouth. She said: “Going to Headway’s social group every week has given me more confidence. I have been able to seek help and advice from staff. I can make friends and share experiences with other people who have been through something similar. It helps me to not feel singled out and different. She also attends a monthly poetry group where she is given the opportunity to share her work and make friends. As for the future? Christina said: “I want to keep writing poetry and sharing it with the world. “My advice to others is: never give up hope, always believe in yourself and press on in life. “Don’t let people get you down. Stand up for yourself, and try to discover ways that you can help others to understand brain injury.” Headway poem Help is always at hand. Everyone is treated as equal. Any problems can be dealt with and advised. Don’t ever need to feel like you are alone. What can’t people see as not being good? Any situation is approached in a respectful way. You always know where you can seek help, friendship, the feeling of inclusion and that you are not alone. Back to stories index 'Writing gives me meaning' Find out more Creative expression Find out more Memory problems Memory is easily affected by brain injury because there are several structures within the brain that are involved in memory, and injury to any of these parts can impair memory performance. Find out more Related resources Coping with memory problems - practical strategies Memory problems after brain injury Redeveloping skills after brain injury 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