New homes a lease of life to ABI sufferers

JUST 10 months ago, Sinead Mangan spent her days locked in a psychiatric ward, where she spent most of the time sleeping.

Today she has a bubbly personality, a sense of humour and a passion for fashion.

Sinead suffered brain damage when she took a drug overdose in 1993, but was only diagnosed with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) by a neurologist in 1996.

In 1998 Sinead, 29, was admitted to a psychiatric unit because there were no other services available for her.

Her mother, Margaret, allowed her daughter, the oldest of three children, to be admitted to the unit after being told that she could be rehabilitated in such a setting.

The psychiatric setting turned out to be the worst place for Sinead.

“She did very little there. She just slept and put on weight because they did not have the facilities,” said Margaret.

10 months ago, she was moved to the first Peter Bradley Foundation home outside of Dublin that provides assisted living for people with ABI.

The home in Ballyvoher, Dooradoyle, Co Limerick, is the result of a successful partnership between the Peter Bradley Foundation and the Health Service Executive Mid-Western Area.

Margaret is delighted that her daughter, who will be one of four young people in the house when it is fully occupied, has learned to like herself again.

“She will greet you at the door with a smile on her face. She will offer you tea or coffee and then go and make it,” said Margaret.

Sinead also enjoys shopping and dressing in the latest styles.

“She is happy now. Her progress is slow but it is a lot better than it was,” her mother pointed out.

Peter Bradley Foundation chief executive and co-founder Barbara O’Connell said the voluntary organisation believed that with the correct supports and appropriate environment people with ABI could live a full life.

Every year around 10,000 people sustain a traumatic brain injury in Ireland.

The Peter Bradley Foundation was established in 2000, in response to Ms O’Connell’s brother, Peter Bradley, who suffered two serious brain injuries when he was a young man.

In partnership with the local health board, the family renovated Peter’s home in Anvers, Glenageary, Co Dublin, on the understanding that two other people with ABI would join him to live there.

The foundation is now aiming to open a total of four new residences throughout the country by the year’s end and to develop other specialist injury services.

Ms O’Connell said local health authorities were all for establishing the houses but needed the resources to provide them.

“The idea is that the young people become part of their local community and are helped to live a normal life,” she said.

“It is taking people who had ABI and continuing their rehabilitation. It is getting them to do what they can do and supporting their needs.”