“In a split second, her whole life as she knew it was taken away from her.”
Twenty-Five year old Alex has been coming the Merlin Centre for just over a year attending both hydrotherapy and physiotherapy for rehabilitation after a car accident in 2018 caused a traumatic brain injury.
Alex’s mum Sarah, shares her daughter’s story.
“Alex was 20 years old when the car accident happened in May 2018. A coach hit her car causing the crash which left Alex with many broken ribs, a broken jaw and a traumatic brain injury. She fought for her life for Seven weeks in ICU in Derriford. Spending a further 11 months in Plymouth Neuro Rehab. In June 2019, Alex was strong enough to came home to us to continue her recovery journey.
She needs round the clock care and has a 24/7 care team which I am part of.
Before the accident Alex was a fit healthy 20-year-old woman with her whole life ahead of her. She was working in the finance department at Furniture World, a job she loved. Alex and her boyfriend had bought their own house in the spring of 2017 and were happily planning their future together. She loved riding her horse and walking her dog with her partner. In that split second, her whole life as she knew it, was taken away from her. Her partner couldn’t cope with the accident and the uncertainty of the future. We then had to go through the process of selling the home they had bought together. It has changed all our lives and all of our relationships with each other.
Our neighbour Steve who was until recently a trustee for the charity, suggested for us to contact the Merlin Centre.
Alex does both hydrotherapy and physiotherapy at the Centre. The team have been working on several things including core strength, head/neck strength, balance & coordination. Alex uses a wheelchair and hasn’t been able to walk or talk since the accident. From her weekly sessions at the Centre Alex is now able to walk lengths in the pool with assistance. Friends, family and community therapists are amazed at how much improvement Alex is making since she started her sessions at the Centre.
Spending time at Merlin with the incredible team has changed Alex for the better. They are her favourite days of the week. It makes Alex happy and relaxed at the same time. Alex is the strongest and bravest woman I know and coming to the Centre every week gives Alex hope and encouragement to continue her fight to keep making progress.
The team at Merlin not only support and encourage Alex they also support and encourage us as a family and care team to keeping doing what we are doing for Alex. We all leave the Centre with a smile on our faces.
The Merlin Centre is a wonderful place with a truly magical team of people.”