My name is Jamie Crawford. On 2/2/96 I was involved in a head-on car crash, I spent about 2½ months in a coma and 15½ months in 4 different hospitals.
I was patched up at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, then in late April 1996 I went to the then named Gisburn Park Private Hospital for rehabilitation until 16 May 1997. Now the case is settled and my compensation paid for it. My company has treated me exceptionally well since the accident, I feel financially secure and appreciated.
I wrote The Way Back on my lap top computer whilst in hospital, it is now Jan 2002, so it seems a long time ago. Following on with the original aim of the book, you can never get disheartened; improvement never stops for a person with a head injury, especially if you are determined. I got married in 2001, you may have seen our photo and story in Best magazine dated 22/1/02 (page 6) and in the March 2002 issue of Cosmopolitan (pgs 215, 216).
I have been on a few exotic holidays and I am living life to the full. Attitude is very important; it may sometimes be a struggle but remain positive because you can only lose by being negative, The Only Way Is Up.
I have just started the dissertation for my MSc in IT and Management, so a person with a head (or brain) injury may walk and talk differently but they are not slow. UPDATE, 26/02/03, I've just been informed that I've passed the MSc.
The moral of this tale is that life is great for me now, different but great. After a head injury, life has been altered but instead of looking back at what you may have lost, look forward at what you can achieve now in a different way to pre-injury. UPDATE 2, I'm very proud to announce the birth of our son, Dominic James Crawford, 7.5 lb, on 28/11/03
I do not want to try and preach but I hope this helps. Doctors cannot provide much hope after an accident in case it is false hope, they could be sued but hope is sometimes all that you can cling to, as long as there is no expectation. No two head injuries are the same!
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