Letter to the editor: Isolation is crushing for many brain injury survivors

Dear Editor,

The coronavirus pandemic has come out of nowhere and left us feeling isolated.

For many of us, these feelings of isolation while challenging, are temporary.

Yet isolation is very much an everyday reality for people after they acquire a brain injury.

There are 19,000 brain injuries acquired in Ireland every year from causes like stroke, car accidents and falls. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.

Like the coronavirus, brain injuries happen suddenly, they shatter lives and leave people isolated and filled with uncertainty.

Right now, all 16 of our residential rehabilitation services around Ireland are cocooning to stop the spread.

This means no visitors in and no visits out. Vital daily routines are broken. This period of isolation is crushing and a major set-back for many of our brain injury survivors.

Our frontline rehabilitation teams are working around the clock to keep our clients safe and to deliver essential psychological and neuro-rehabilitative support during this crisis. But it’s extremely challenging.

Fundraising is vital for essential services and we have seen many fundraising events cancelled already. Our organisation’s financial future is being tested.

I am calling on your readers to shine a light on brain injury and support those most vulnerable to isolation. Give today at www.abiireland.ie/aprilappeal

Yours sincerely,
Barbara O’Connell,
Co-founder and CEO,
Acquired Brain Injury Ireland