A dad has spoken about how the help from a mind harm service has helped him get his life again on observe after a devastating harm.
Dougie Mackenzie’s life modified dramatically when he suffered a mind aneurysm in June 2017 which precipitated him to fall down the steps at his Renfrew house.
He wasn’t found till the following day when his mum noticed him unconscious and referred to as an ambulance which took him to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
The next day, Dougie was transferred to intensive care on the Queen Elizabeth College Hospital the place he remained in a coma for 2 weeks, earlier than he was transferred to excessive dependency for an extra two weeks.
Medical doctors found Dougie had suffered a life-altering Traumatic Mind Harm (TBI) and because of this, he stayed in several hospitals for an additional 9 months to obtain specialist therapy.
Dougie, 36, credit the NHS for saving his life, however stated he was in a darkish place as soon as he was discharged as the truth of his ‘new regular’ set in and he struggled to manage.
Dougie stated: “Once I was first discharged from hospital, my speech and mobility had been vastly impacted by my harm.
“I used to be reliant on different folks for nearly every little thing, and my residing state of affairs solely made issues more durable as I couldn’t entry day-to-day services.
“The worst of it was that I couldn’t take care of my daughter alone, who I share custody of after parting methods together with her mom in 2015.”
Dougie, born and raised in Renfrew, first got here into contact with Quarriers Renfrewshire Head Harm Service in 2018 and he credit the help he has obtained with giving him a second likelihood at life.
Quarriers visited him at house and set the ball in movement for additional help, leading to one other six months in a facility specialising in mind harm rehabilitation.
Dougie stated: “Quarriers has been behind me each step of the way in which via my restoration and has helped me study to dwell with my harm, via their recommendation and encouragement.
“They helped organise shifting to a flat that’s a lot better suited to my wants, which has vastly elevated my sense of independence and freedom, and my mobility and speech is enhancing a little bit bit extra each day.
“Better of all, because of their help I’m now capable of see my daughter Sophie 3 times per week.
“Quarriers organises days out for us, financed by the Quarriers’ Youngsters’s Fund, so we are able to spend high quality time collectively as a household - we not too long ago bought to go to Edinburgh Zoo and see Sophie’s favorite animal, the Purple Panda.”
Quarriers at the moment helps 71 folks residing with an acquired head harm from the ages of 16 to 65 within the Renfrewshire Council space.
Over time the service has expanded to supply help to carers and members of the family who play a significant position within the rehabilitation and care of family members with a head harm.
The service additionally affords group help via The Sunshine Membership which goals to cut back isolation and supply a optimistic, protected, neighborhood area the place folks with a head harm can type friendships and meet others with related life experiences.
Jaclyn Mulheron, Dougie’s help employee who can be his neighbour, stated she’s seen “outstanding” development in Dougie.
“Typically when tragedy strikes because it did in Dougie’s case, individuals are unaware of the assistance and entitlement that exists to help them and to allow them to really feel fairly misplaced,” she stated.
“The Renfrewshire Head Harm Service is a spot that individuals can come to, with out worry of judgement, the place they’ll be welcomed, cherished and accepted.
“We assist these we take care of obtain their short-term and long-term targets whether or not that’s via group periods, one-to-one help or via our coaching consciousness companies.”
Dougie, who was a distribution supervisor earlier than his harm, is at the moment pursuing his ardour for pictures and is finishing a HNC in Pictures at West of Scotland Faculty, after which he hopes to go on to attain his HND.
Dougie stated: “Once I first suffered my harm, I went utterly in on myself and centered on the negatives of my state of affairs. Being unable to work left me feeling misplaced, with no objective.
“Earlier than my harm, I didn’t dedicate sufficient time in the direction of my ardour whereas now, I’m pursuing a profession in pictures via my school course and I’m studying so many new methods and abilities.”
Dougie added: “What occurred to me made me actually recognize life and the way fortunate I’ve been to get one, not to mention two, photographs at it.
“In some methods I now have a look at my harm as a blessing in disguise because it’s allowed me the possibility to dedicate my time to a very powerful areas of my life, which has solely been potential because of the care and help I’ve obtained from Quarriers.”
For extra details about Quarriers Renfrewshire Head Harm Service please telephone 0141 848 1701 or e-mail headinjuryservice@quarriers.org.uk
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