Natasha's Story
Natasha, 33, recently graduated with a 2:1 BSc Honours in Social Sciences, including a First for her dissertation. But things could have been so different.
At the age of 14, Natasha suffered a severe brain haemorrhage and was rushed by ambulance to Kings College Hospital London where she endured five hour long surgery, was placed on life support and even given her last rites. Yet Natasha defied the odds to pull through and was transferred to The Children's Trust. Here she received intensive rehabilitation to learn how to walk, talk, feed herself and use her memory again following her traumatic brain injury.
When Natasha was able to return to school with her friends, The Children's Trust worked with teachers to support this transition and enable Natasha to fulfil her academic potential. This support meant that Natasha did very well in her GCSEs, not just for someone with a brain injury, but also compared to her peers.
“It seems impossible to put into words the amount of thanks I feel and owe to The Children’s Trust. What is incredible though is that even though I was living through the worst time of my life, I have nothing but positive and hilarious memories from my five and a half month stay”
Since leaving The Children's Trust, Natasha has sought to challenge society's perceptions of her brain injury. Research surrounding disability became a key component of her University degree; Natasha hopes to publish her dissertation, for which she received a First, entitled: "The Descriptions and Experiences of Women with Invisible Disabilities'.
Many children like Natasha who experience brain injury will go on to achieve great things in life, including graduating from University. By fundraising for The Children’s Trust, you will be helping us support children with the rehabilitation and therapy they need to live the best life possible.
