- Download Headway News summer 2017 (PDF)
Bad memory? You have no idea!
‘I know what you mean...I’ve got a terribly memory too!’ Just one of the phrases that brain injury survivors often hear when they attempt to explain the realities of living with a brain injury.
Sometimes these statements might be well meaning, if misguided. The intention behind saying something like ‘Chin up – there’s always someone worse off’ may be to encourage someone to adopt a positive attitude to life, but it’s hardly likely to win an award for Motivational Speech of the Year.
Furthermore, it highlights a lack of understanding among the general public about brain injury and the extent to which it can impact lives. Filming the reactions of brain injury survivors to our top ten list of things not to say to someone with a brain injury was fascinating. There was immediate recognition of the sayings, which were greeted with a mix of frustration, anger, and humour.
There were also glimpses of empathy as some people accepted the challenges of trying to understand brain injury without having experienced it. A fair point indeed.
But in just under three minutes, our brilliant bunch of volunteers managed to say so much to help us bust the myths and misunderstandings that surround brain injury.
Our light-hearted short film, which was seen by more than 25,000 people on the first day it was published, was the perfect way to launch Action for Brain Injury Week.
A New Me can mean so much, in so many different ways, to so many people. This edition of Headway News is dedicated to the inspiring personal testimonies, incredible creative expressions, and passionate campaigning that helped us make this year’s ABI Week campaign such a success.
Our thanks to everyone who took part – with a particular mention for the team at Headway Nottingham, which made such a valuable contribution to our film.
We’ll leave the final word to Jeannette Worthington, who when asked to respond to the saying ‘You should be back to normal by now...’ said: “I don’t think I’d want to be ‘normal’ anymore...‘cos that were boring!”
The Communications Team
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