Car Crash Survivor Praises Lincolnshire Brain Injury Charity

A newly qualified nurse who suffered a life-changing brain injury following a devastating car accident has praised a Lincolnshire charity for providing vital support during her recovery.

Headway Lincolnshire, which is celebrating its 35 anniversary this year, has been helping Claire Campbell, 46, from Lincoln, and her mother Marlene, who is now her daughter’s full-time carer, since the accident happened in 2001.

Claire, then aged 25, was driving on the A46 between Grimsby and Lincoln to collect her nurse’s uniform when she was involved in the crash. Her car veered off the road down a 30-foot embankment and she smashed her head against the inside of the car, suffering a traumatic head injury.

Claire’s life changed within a split second; she spent the following five months in Lincoln County Hospital and was in a coma for nearly eight weeks. The accident and the resulting brain injury stopped both her career and her life in their tracks.

Over 20 years on from the car crash, Claire is living with the physical and cognitive side effects of her brain injury. Her mum Marlene, 73, is her fulltime carer as she has mobility issues and struggles to walk for long periods unaided. She also suffers from slurred and slow speech.

One thing Claire wants to raise awareness of is that brain-injured people often require more time to complete tasks.

“I always wear my sunflower lanyard when I’m out and about as a sign that I have a hidden disability,” she said.

“I also have my brain injury identity card from the National Police Chiefs Council which lists the problems I face: speech difficulties, memory loss, limited mobility and fatigue. On a good day I may be able to walk down the road on my own but in the past when people have seen me, I’ve been accused of being drunk because my walking isn’t stable. It’s so frustrating. Brain damage isn’t visible.”

As she was recovering from her injuries in hospital, Claire got in touch with Headway Lincolnshire after spotting a poster on the ward promoting their services.

Since then, Claire and Marlene have both benefited from the support and contacts available through the charity.

Ann-Marie Smith, Co-Ordinator and Development Officer at Headway Lincolnshire, said:

“What people often forget is that people with brain injuries led fulfilling lives before their injuries.

“Tragically Claire was on her way to pick up her nurse’s uniform and ended up on the very ward that she was supposed to be working on.

“It just takes one split second – and your life and the lives of those around you are changed forever.”