This year’s theme for ABI was 'A Life Re–written’. James - one of our current Inclusion works programme participants - kindly shared his experiences with his case officer about how his life and identity changed after his acquired brain injury and how he has worked hard to rebuild his life!

“Before my brain injury I worked bricklaying, I loved this job but due to the very physically demanding nature of the work he couldn’t go back to this. The brain injury was an unexpected curveball in my life and for many years I felt like, ‘everything went upside down’. I struggled with memory issues, problems concentrating and was easily stressed and had a lack of motivation. I experienced daily struggle with pain from the injury which also caused my mental health to spiral.

At the start of my journey with Cedar’s Inclusion Works programme my goal was to ‘re learn my brain again’ and gain support to learn more about brain injury. I wanted to learn strategies to manage my issues with memory, attention, planning and organising so I attended weekly personal effectiveness after brain injury training (PEABI) on a 1:1 basis with my case officer Karen.

Case Officer Karen stated, ‘James grew in confidence and contributed to weekly PEABI training sessions and every week I witnessed his confidence in himself grow’.

On the Inclusion Works program I re-discovered my love of art and completed an art leisure course at my local college, enjoying fine art and design. This activity was very therapeutic and relaxing during a time that was difficult getting to grips with the physical and mental effects of my brain injury. At this time my Case Officer referred me to Cedar’s Floating Support programme which supported me to manage my daily living and learn new ways to manage my home.

During the Covid 19 lockdown my work with Cedar did not stop. I started remote employability training with Inclusion Works Training Officer Janice. For the next year we both committed to weekly training sessions, and I successfully gained a BTech Level 2 Award in Work Skills. This employability training gave me such opportunity for personal growth as well as time to look at my transferable work-related skills.

Over the last year or so, I was also busy with my own home renovation and garden projects. Feeling ready to ‘get back on my feet and get back into some form of work again’ I was supported by my Case Officer Karen to look at possible volunteering opportunities, using my work skills & new adapted strategies.  From this search I started volunteering with Cedar’s Karuna Residential Home in Carrickfergus as a garden and maintenance worker.  For the past six months I have been volunteering a few times per week and I thoroughly enjoy this new role and being part of a team again. This volunteer role has also helped with my social skills, interacting with staff, visitors, and residents’ at Karuna.

Where I am at now is brilliant as Cedar was able to help me to adapt my bricklaying skills to take up a maintenance role, I am so pleased to use my skillset in action.

My journey after brain injury hasn’t been smooth sailing but through my work at Cedar, I have started to see myself getting brighter and more positive towards life again.

Click the following link to find out more about our Inclusion Works services: Inclusion Works | The Cedar Foundation (cedar-foundation.org)