Archive for category: Client Stories

Pat is Clinical Manager Community Rehabilitation for Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust. She is also a physiotherapist who has worked in the traumatic brain injury and concussion field for over 30 years, including vestibular rehabilitation. Her son Rob currently works as a rehabilitation coach for LFBIT, and this story is Pat’s perspective on the concussion injuries he experienced as a teenager.

When Rob had his first concussion in year 9, he called me from the bus back to school from playing school rugby at Hagley Park and said, “I got knocked out … legit knocked out.” Not what I was expecting or wanted to hear. He sounded OK though, so I wasn’t too worried. I knew we could deal with any symptoms he may have. I mean, it’s what I do every day, right?

No one had seen Rob fall and hit his head on the hard ground. He missed the teams playing down to the other end of the field to score a try, and the team and coach only noticed when he remained sitting where he had fallen. They helped him off the field and that was about it. No other attention back on the bus at the end of the game, no contact made with us. Later, the school was made aware of their poor communication.

Rob recovered pretty well really – a few days off school, some vestibular treatment for dizziness and advice from Mum.We witnessed the second concussion for ourselves the next season. Rob was playing for Prebbleton club at the home grounds and had what looked like a glancing clash of cheeks with a teammate. In fact, when he got up and was wobbly on his feet, I thought he had injured his knee. He was distressed and helped to the sideline. Then it was obvious it was not his knee. He could not tell us what the score was, what day it was or where he was. That was scary for him and for us. This time, he had a week off school, returning for half days for another week, before returning full-time. Not too drastic in year 10.

We allowed longer than the recommended time off rugby and followed the return to sport protocols, building up to match fitness without symptoms of any kind.

In the last few minutes of the last game of that season, he was tackled head on, which ended up as a head clash and concussion number three. Fortunately, the effects at the time were not so bad again and Rob didn’t need any time off school. It was the end of the season so he had plenty of time off rugby before playing again the following season.

The fourth concussion was the worst. This time, the phone call was from the referee of the school game in Darfield, who said Rob got his head on the wrong side of a tackle. Rob couldn’t call because he was in an ambulance on the way to Christchurch Hospital. As well as hitting his head, he had no strength or feeling in his hands. My knees went weak as I walked to my car… another concussion and a possible spinal injury.

When I arrived at the hospital, Rob was being wheeled into emergency. He was awake and in a neck collar. He said that some of the feeling was coming back in his hands, which was a huge relief – that was hopeful. After being examined by great doctors, the decision was made to admit him for X-rays and scans. The brain injury did not seem too bad this time. He mainly had a headache at this stage, his memory and cognition appeared pretty good. The main concern was the spinal injury, but he was gaining strength back in his hands by now so that too seemed to be improving. Fingers and toes crossed.

Rob was admitted into the Orthopaedic Trauma Unit rather than a paediatric bed, which meant he could have specialised nursing care for the suspected neck/spinal injury. They weren’t too worried about his head. He was still in a neck collar and was log-rolled by six staff at a time to keep his spine aligned. But they still needed to rule out any spinal cord injury. It was hard to tell if his concussion was significant, as he was lying very still and not doing anything, but he was awake and alert and the headache was manageable, which was all positive.

After a visit from his Dad and sister and a fairly sleepless night, we settled in for the wait for an MRI. Emergency cases kept coming in and beating Rob to it. By now, he was getting frustrated, not being able to move or get comfortable with the neck collar. Finally, he had the MRI. We now had to wait for it to be read and find out whether there was cord damage and what the plan would be. We were hopeful because, by the end of that day, his strength was pretty much back to normal. A nurse told us the specialist was coming in and would look at Rob’s scans and we should know something by late afternoon. By 10pm, Rob was incredibly uncomfortable, and I was tired and turning into a very grumpy “one of those parents”. I needed to know what was happening. Another nurse heard me, calmly asked what the matter was and within an hour we had a registrar there to say the scan was clear, no cord injury. Hallelujah! As it was after 11pm by then, we stayed another night, but Rob was able to take the collar off and get more comfortable.

The next day, Rob was dizzy when he got up, and a physio came to check him out. She thought that it might be dehydration making him dizzy. I thought, “We’ll check that properly when we get home.” Vestibular rehabilitation was and is still not commonly taught in undergrad physio training so often not looked at as part of concussion management in New Zealand hospitals, although this is changing slowly. An occupational therapist came and did some cognitive assessment, which showed some issues with memory and processing speed but nothing too awful. So he could go home. I asked for a referral to the Concussion Service – it was not offered. Again, this is now slowly changing, and referrals for follow-up input are becoming more common.

Dizziness treated, lots of rest, four weeks off school or part days later and Rob was pretty much recovered. We decided that we needed to be parents and not therapists this time, so a colleague completed the concussion service with him and dealt with the school. That was a very good decision and saved a lot of stress for all of us. School staff tend not to understand concussion like they would a broken leg so often need to hear that professional tell them what is needed. Sometimes they don’t listen to a parent the same.

It was by now near the end of the season, and Rob was not going to play again for now. The registrar at the hospital had said, “After four significant concussions, if it was my son, I would recommend for him to not play rugby again.” Rob was not ready to hear that and neither was his Dad, who was also his coach. Around that time, I came across a movie called Crash Reel about an American Olympic snowboarder who had a significant brain injury when training. It followed his recovery and ultimate decision not to compete again for fear of reinjury. Part of the movie shows him visiting another snowboarder who chose to train again after his own brain injury.

Unfortunately, he did have another traumatic brain injury, resulting in significant and permanent cognitive and physical disability. I watched the movie with Rob, who was profoundly affected by this and made his own decision not to play rugby again. This was a huge decision for him as a very good 14-year-old rugby player with great potential. The next season was particularly hard while his mates started playing, but he loved rugby enough to volunteer to help Dad (Kevin) out with coaching his old team and he was water boy on Saturdays. He loved being part of the team still but missed playing hugely. It was incredibly hard for him, and all we wanted to do was to let him play, but each concussion was affecting him more and the risk was too great.

Unfortunately, that was not his last concussion. While standing on the field at school in year 12, one of the other boys ‘tackled’ him and he hit his head on the hard ground. He was dizzy again and developed headaches. So more time off school and more vestibular treatment from me. Thankfully, he made a full recovery after a few weeks.

My advice for any parent of a child who has a concussion is to seek help. Keep asking for help until you get it. Be that demanding parent if you need to be. We had an advantage being ‘in the business’ but we still needed professionals to be involved, especially with the school. And your kids will tend to listen to the professionals about rest and time off devices much more than you! You also need to follow the advice of professionals when it comes to returning to sport – whether it is the timing of that after one injury, i.e. not too soon, or whether to return at all following several concussions. Who knows whether Rob would have been affected more if he had continued to play, but we could see that he certainly was affected significantly every time he did hit his head, even with what looked like glancing blows. One day, research may show why that is, but for now, we do know that all concussions are real and need to be taken seriously and that recovery can look different for everyone.

Today we would like to share a very special story about a past resident of Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust, Craig Imlay.

 

Craig was born to his parents Robin and Lindsay Imlay in Dunedin on the 5th of June 1960. Five months later, they along with their family became concerned with his health, and after checking in with professionals, it was found Craig had suffered a brain injury caused by Hydrocephalus. This is a rare condition that at the time would not have been able to be treated in New Zealand. However, around the corner at Otago University, an international medical conference was taking place. Craig’s diagnosis was referred to the conference, and incredibly, they found help. Presented at the conference was a brand-new shunt valve to prevent damage to the brain – one that was used on people with conditions like Craig’s. Craig was operated on immediately, and from this, was given a chance at life.

Before Craig, no one in New Zealand with Hydrocephalus had survived past the age of five. After his surgery, he was expected to live into his teens. Later, he was told he wouldn’t live past 40. Craig lived until he was 63.

 

Growing up, Craig had his challenges. As his operation was too late to prevent brain damage, Craig lived with a disability similar to cerebral palsy. While he spent his early years of education in a preschool for disabled children, Craig grew to be dedicated in his efforts to participate in mainstream schooling.

“Craig was tremendously determined and spent his life setting out to give things a go,” says Julie, Craig’s sister. “‘Can’t’ wasn’t a word in his dictionary – If he wanted to try something he would give it his best shot. There were many times in his life when he would push back against those who said he probably couldn’t do something.”

At school, Craig would get right into sports days. He would get up for races and run with his crutches. He knew he wouldn’t win, but he tried his best all the same. His mother Robin recalls these times.

“You could never put him down, you know. He was a kid with a perpetual smile. The principal couldn’t get over Craig, he would say ‘we’ve got other kids there that you just cannot get off their back sides, and there’s Craig out on his crutches, lined up, taking part in races.’ He was amazing.”

 

In his teens, Craig headed along to a meeting for disabled people interested in skiing. After more doubt from people around him, Craig got stuck right in. For many winters, Craig would be up on the slopes, loving life. He even won a number of certificates and competitions!

In 1986, Craig was determined to take his independence to the next level, as he moved into a flat in Ilam. Life was very social living in the flat, as Craig had many flatmates and fun times living as independently as possible.

“He had a pretty busy life, he was going out five days a week by bus or taxi, to Handmade Studio and other activities,” says Robin. “He loved his spinning and weaving at the studio. He was just enjoying life. And I think of how hard it was for him, you know, but he just loved everything that he did. He felt as though he was achieving something, being successful.”

After ten years of living independently, Craig’s needs began to increase, and he moved into Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust’s residential home in 1996, where he stayed for 25 years. During this time, he made many great friends and was determined to continue exercising and getting out and about independently. He would often head out in his wheelchair to visit his parents who lived in the neighborhood.

“I have not got a single photograph where he hasn’t got a smile on his face,” says Robin. “Nothing would get him down. I would say to him when things were going wrong, ‘oh Craig you just never let yourself get caught up. You’re always smiling.’ And he would say, ‘oh well, Mum, what’s the point of feeling miserable or making yourself feel miserable?’ We were just so proud of him.”

In 2021, Craig’s level of care had increased beyond the capacity of LFBIT, and he had to move to Merivale Retirement Village. Before he moved, he enjoyed a huge 60th birthday celebration with his family and friends at Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust.

In December 2023, Craig passed away peacefully.

This year, we were surprised and immensely grateful to learn that Alan Whittaker, Craig’s stepfather, had left a gift in his Will to the Trust. Alan, who passed away a few weeks before Craig in 2023, wanted to acknowledge the support and care Craig received from the Trust and hoped his gift would help provide others with the same opportunity for support.

Craig’s mother Robin told us, “He knew that Craig was very important to me. I was very happy about it. We were just so proud of Craig’s efforts and successes over the years. A life very well lived.”

 

Leaving a gift in your Will is a very special act of generosity. Your legacy helps us empower people with disabilities to live their best lives.

Alan’s gift is already having an impact on the lives of people who are supported by the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust – his kindness and generosity means the world to all of us.

Today we are privileged to hear from one of our spinal clients at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust – Mary Miller. For the past ten years, Mary has lived independently in a lifestyle village on the edge of Christchurch. Her journey began as a child, as she grew up with a bone condition called rickets.

Due to Mary’s condition, she had many surgeries including hips, knee replacements and rods placed into her femurs. The calcification around her spinal cord led to her starting to notice a significant change of sensation in her legs.

After being referred to a neurosurgeon, Mary learned that her spinal cord had almost totally closed at four points, and she required a large surgery. However, by the time the surgery was set to take place, it was 2011, the year of the Christchurch earthquakes. Her surgery was delayed.

“The plan was I would go into St George’s, have the surgery, and drive myself home a week later,” says Mary. “That was the plan, but my spinal cord was damaged, and I came out of the surgeries a tetraplegic in 2011.”

After this surgery, Mary was transferred to the spinal unit of Burwood hospital, where she stayed for eight months of rehabilitation. During this time, Mary worked to get the use of her arms back, but her legs did not recover enough to walk. Mary received ACC coverage after the surgery; a case manager was appointed who helped her set up goals. One of these goals was to drive again, which she accomplished in 2014 through the provision of a vehicle where she could move her power wheelchair into the driver’s seat and drive using hand controls.

Mary lived well and with independence, until the past two years, when she began to become paralyzed in her upper body. After another referral to a new neurosurgeon, it was found that her spinal cord was once again being ‘squeezed’.

After a successful surgery, Mary spent six weeks in the spinal unit of Burwood Hospital and then was able to come home with help from the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust.

“I was able to come home with help from physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, wheelchair experts, and housing people from the Laura Ferguson Brain Injury Trust – They’ve all helped to assess how much I could achieve with certain help, and they’ve helped me to get that help. So, I have got back some of what I lost.”

Mary has received help from a range of services at LFBIT, including training for independence, wheelchair and seating, housing services, equipment, and respiratory services. Work across this range includes things such as finding extra support workers to aid Mary in activities such as driving, identifying equipment to help her achieve things individually, and having a hoist installed in her home.

“Lizzie McKay came in training under Mark as a physiotherapist, I was very blessed to have both of them. Lizzie is one in a million. She’s the best physiotherapist I’ve ever had. As well as Lizzie there has been massive, wonderful input from Lesley Bensley, Angela Nicholls and Deanna Davies – all amazing people!”

LFBIT team members also helped Mary in the little ways that make all the difference. From finding cutlery that she could hold with her limited movement in her hands, to installing Alexa in her home to turn on lights, and open, close, and locks doors, all through voice control.

“That has all been with the sort of vision of the team, the occupational therapy team and the physiotherapy team. I’ve been overwhelmed with the help that I got, I’ve just been very fortunate in the people that have been rostered with me, they’ve been a great help.”

“It makes such a difference when you get people who are good at what they do. Because I’ve had occupational therapists and physiotherapists in the past, and I knew more about my situation than they did – I was able to help myself better than they could. I’ve found LFBIT staff really empathetic, knowledgeable about their craft, and go the extra mile in looking for alternatives. I’ve been very blessed to have them.”

One thing that Mary has found key in her rehabilitation is that the more open and motivated she was to do the work, the easier it was not just for her, but for the team she worked with.

“With the right kind of help, you can put yourself out there. There’s no point in whinging and moaning about it. There’s always something else you can do. I’ve learned that before, but it gets renewed in my head every time I reach a stumbling block.”

In being open comes the importance of having fun with your rehab, which is something Mary knows well!

“I like to have a bit of a laugh at the people that I work with, and we have. We get the job done, and always have fun as well.”

Looking to the future, Mary looks to get more involved in learning some new instruments. Mary, unfortunately, had to retire from her position in both the ukulele group and choir, as holding a ukulele and turning page music became too much of a challenge, as well as finding singing difficult from seated in a wheelchair. However, LFBIT staff have found a spot in music therapy sessions where Mary can try a range of new musical instruments. Mary is excited to get started and stuck in on the keyboard!

A special thanks to Mary for sharing your story with us! It is an absolute pleasure to talk and work with you, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings!

Life before 18 July 2020 was pretty hectic. I’m a Mum to three boys, a wife and a primary school principal of a little Catholic school. My life was a mix between running the household, caring for my family and dealing with the variety of problems and tasks you get when you’re a teaching principal of a little school.

We had just sold our house and had moved into temporary housing, waiting for our new house to be completed. I was pretty shattered and felt exhausted on many levels!

During the last weekend of the July holidays, my husband and I had decided to go through to Christchurch for a couple of nights. On the Saturday night, we were on our way to go out for tea, and as it was very cold, we thought that it would be a good idea to jump on a Lime scooter instead of walking.

My husband was in front of me and I followed. I don’t remember much after that, as I was hit by a car as I was crossing the road. I became aware of my surroundings a while later in one of the trauma units at Christchurch Public Hospital. After many hours, tests and treatments, I was taken to the Neurology ward.

My left wrist was broken and in a cast. I had a deep wound in my forehead that required plastic surgery, a fractured skull, a face full of bruises, the mother of all headaches that wouldn’t quit and I was vomiting. Although I was confused about why I was injured, I knew what day it was and who my family was. I slept a lot! I struggled with my balance and felt very dizzy, needing assistance to get out of bed and go to the bathroom. I spent 10 days in hospital and was extremely excited to get back to my family.

The next part of my recovery is all a bit of a blur – it seemed as though one day merged into the next. It was a longer period than I initially thought I’d be in, a period I called the “Four Fs” – Fogginess, Fatigue, Frustration and Fear. There was a lot of tiredness, a lot of sleeping and a lot of crying.

I found that I was tired after doing simple tasks such as doing the dishes! My initial goal was to do simple routine housework and build on it as I could. I had help to keep on top of the bathrooms and vacuuming, but I worked on achieving the rest throughout each day with lots of rests in between.

My balance was still an issue, but once I’d had some treatment, it had improved enough that I didn’t need to steady myself by holding onto the walls.

Therapists from Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust visited me every week at the start, talking me through what was happening and helping me set goals for my recovery.

I thought that I’d be back at work pretty quickly as I had no idea how severe my injury was. Every goal I set myself – workwise – had to be reset!

Very gradually, I made myself get outside and go for walks. My dog and I would walk to the recycling and rubbish bins daily – probably only about 100m in total. Then we would add going to the end of the houses in our block – another 100m in total. I wouldn’t do this daily, only when I felt I could.

I found this part of my recovery very challenging. I wasn’t used to putting myself and my health first. I wasn’t used to struggling to do things. I was a capable, intelligent woman who was independent and fierce. I identified with being a career woman who was in control.

I had to shift my thinking, which was huge. I had to accept help. I had to relinquish control at home and at work. I had to focus on myself in order to recover.

We finally moved in to our new house early September. I felt as though I had room to breathe and I had a purpose each day. I began scheduling my day in my diary, making sure I wasn’t overdoing it and going back to the boom-and-bust attitude I had before my accident.

Scheduling appointments for the week, daily chores/tasks, walks/exercise, social events and also scheduling in regular rests throughout the day was extremely helpful. Not only did I feel more in control, but it was also a creative outlet for me.

I started going to physio for both my neck/back/shoulders and hand/wrist/fingers (which we discovered had also been broken after my cast was removed). My aunt drove me to and from hand therapy appointments in Rolleston. The movement of vehicles and the surrounding scenery left me feeling very tired, and I had to give myself time in between and after journeys to recover. Eventually, I was able to manage longer trips and my recovery time would be shorter.

My concussion physio was still visiting me. However, I began seeing a psychologist to help me work through all the feelings and issues that were coming up, and this reinforced the goals that I was working on. My psychologist helped me find my joy. We spoke about what I found challenging, how I spoke to myself, what I found important and what gave me the ‘good’ feels. My therapists worked on helping me achieve the goals that I was working towards.

After the Christmas holidays, I returned to school. Once again, I thought I’d be able to do more than I actually could. Time and time again, I would have setbacks – I’d set myself goals of how long I could be at school, I’d push on and my recovery would take a dive. I spent all of 2021 trying to get back to school full-time. The best I could manage was Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am–1pm, still only doing admin work. We discovered that, if I tried to increase my hours too quickly without a ‘consolidation period’, the headaches and fatigue would return. Progress was slow.

Now, nearly two years on, after resetting my goals, I am finally back in the classroom two days a week but still working on being in the office full-time on the other three days, with later starts and early finishes. Life at home has become very quiet as all the boys are now at university, so I find I have less pressure to be on call for them! I still get fatigued, still get headaches – especially when I do too much.

Changing the way I speak to myself has helped me come to realise that my recovery has been a very personal journey. Understanding and identifying my emotions and limitations has been the biggest challenge – and continues to be ongoing. I now tell myself that it’s OK to feel like this, it’s normal for recovery to take time and to have setbacks.

Doing things that I enjoyed was the most helpful thing in my recovery. Planning out my day/week in a creative way by journalling, doing a little gardening, walking (increasing my time and distance as I felt I could) and rekindling my love of reading – all these little things gave me happiness and purpose. They made me feel good about myself. Going for a walk is now my ‘go to’ when I feel overwhelmed or frustrated.

As I look back on the last 22 months, I have come a long way, and although I may never be 100% the same as I was, maybe that’s not a bad thing – my life was not sustainable.

I also think that it would be important for family members to have some support. I was fortunate that my husband had some experience dealing with concussion, however not to the same extent as my injury. He would have benefited from someone having a chat with him about everything – not relying on me to pass on information.

If I had advice to give someone that was in my situation, it would be to give yourself time and go easy on yourself.

Find what gives you joy.

At Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust, we provide a number of assessment, rehabilitation and residential services.

Our specialist team support people who have had brain injuries, spinal injuries, and any type of complex physical injury, such as a leg or arm amputation.

Michael Challis is a client who has been supported by our service for some time, working incredibly hard on his independence and his recovery.

This is his story:

For three years prior to his injury, Michael was a concrete placer, working on driveways, pathways, house foundations, or anywhere that needed his skills. He loved the hands-on nature of the work, and spending time with great colleagues.

In his spare time, he loved to fix up his truck, spend weekends at the river, and then fixing the truck all over again!

He also loved playing rugby and wakeboarding, until he was too sore to go again.

Four years ago, Michael’s life took a shift. After an especially busy 68 hour work week, Michael was involved in a car accident, car versus power pole.

Fortunately, there was a witness nearby, who immediately called emergency services. Michael broke his back and damaged his spinal cord between the C4 and TI vertebrae. This resulted in a loss of all strength, sensation and other body functions below – the highest level of injury. For a few months he lost all movement below his neck and had to spend that time in the Intensive Care Unit, before moving to Burwood Hospital for another four months during which time he gradually regained some movement in his arms but continued to have little movement or sensation in his hands, trunk and lower body.

After 199 days in total, it was time for Michael to make the move home, leaving him with the huge challenge of having to adapt to his new way of life.

“It was different going home, I didn’t know what to expect,” says Michael. “One of the biggest challenges has been losing independence and needing help with any basic tasks. Things as little as opening a letter, and picking it up, you try it over and over again. But then being stubborn only lasts so long before you need to ask for help.”

Michael’s stubbornness has worked in his favour when it comes to rehabilitation, as he has worked incredibly hard to do everything possible to gain his independence back.

He has worked with LFBIT occupational therapists and physiotherapists to begin getting back into movement and regain everyday skills. He works hard on building up his strength at the gym and has used his hand bike to also increase his exercise.

Alongside his rehabilitation, he has had further specialist input provided by our Housing and Seating Assessment Services.

Michael has had extensive work done in his home to give him the opportunity for more independence.

The first major modification was the flooring, as he had the carpet replaced with vinyl flooring throughout the house. Michael says this was his favourite modification, as it gave him the freedom to move around in his manual wheelchair, without getting stuck on the soft carpet.

“We knew that using the manual chair was my biggest goal. So, we pretty much did everything possible around the house to make that easier for me to use and just be able to get around.”

Everything possible was done, including widening the doors, changing the layouts of rooms, and widening gaps, so there is not such a tight squeeze.

His bathroom was remodeled to provide one big wet area to wheel into, instead of having to get himself in and out of the shower. The bathroom vanity was also replaced with one that he can now comfortably wheel under. A ceiling hoist system has been installed in the bedroom as well which allows Michael to get from his bed to his wheelchair and shower commode.

Getting in and out of the house was also a priority, first made easier by two automatic doors. These doors can be opened by waving at a sensor on the wall, but Michael also has a button on his chair, which open the doors quickly and easily. Previously, if he ever needed to make an emergency escape, the door in his bedroom led to a step down to a patio and wet grass. Now, there is a ramp that runs around the perimeter of the house, giving him ease of access to his backyard and a second exit.

Beyond the large modifications to the house, there are also many smaller, less noticeable changes that make huge differences to Michael’s independence. For example: small aids like suction rails that stick to the fridge door, making it easier for Michael to open and grab his drink bottles. Recently, he has had new lights placed in his lounge and these will eventually be replaced throughout the whole house, all of which he can control from his phone.

“The housing modifications made a huge difference. It all looks great and just makes the house so much easier to use and get around.”

Michael is hoping to get back into the workforce, perhaps even being able to work in the administration side of a concrete business, matching his skills and experience. As an expert in the trade, he would love to continue to help out in any way possible. He is also considering some future study.

We thank you for sharing your incredible journey of success with us Michael, we are so thankful we could make your home a place you can be independent in.

Good luck with all of your future plans and thank you for letting us be part of your rehabilitation journey.