Two siblings take on Head Start 10k to show their appreciation to hospital staff
7th May 2019
Bronach and Shane Duffy aged, 23 and 37 from Sheffield are taking on the Head Start 10K run to raise money for Neurocare after their mother Maureen experienced an unexpected brain haemorrhage in September last year.
On the 13th September Maureen Flanagan, 57, experienced a 'striking' headache which felt like a 'lightning bolt' whilst gardening, and just a few hours later her daughter Bronach came home to find her mother rocking back and forth and vomiting violently. Once she had been taken to hospital Maureen underwent a scan which showed that she had a bleed on the left side of her brain and a blister on the blood vessel so she was at risk of having a second bleed. Sadly, not many people survive a second bleed so Maureen was immediately taken to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital to undergo surgery. Maureen's daughter Bronach said: -After the operation Mum didn't progress as well as she should have. She was very muddled and confused so the doctors didn't discharge her. If she had gone home, she wouldn't have survived what came next. -Mum had picked up a chest infection post-surgery, she had been treated with antibiotics but it had either not completely disappeared or had come back. But this time the infection went sceptic so she was put on further antibiotics for sepsis. -She was rushed back to the Neuro Critical Care Unit where they placed a huge C-Pap mask on her it looked like an astronaut mask or like she had a big fish bowl around her head it was awful to see. -There were two times where the call was almost made to put her into a coma but thankfully she began to respond on her own. -The staff at the Neuro Critical Care Unit really did go above and beyond. I was only 22 when all this happened and I still relied heavily on my mum. The staff gave me a 24/7 contact number where I could even ring in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep and they would reassure me and give me updates. -They never once made me feel like a nuisance and they always took the time to talk to me, reassure me or calm me down. They were simply fantastic with everything they did and deserve the recognition for all the hard work they do on a daily basis. -The care our mum received was second-to-none and there will never be enough thank you's in the world to show our gratitude to the staff on the Neuro Critical Care Unit for all their hard work. Maureen is still in recovery, she now walks with a walking stick after learning how to stand and walk again and has had physio to help rebuild her strength. She also accesses help to help improve her speech and manage her anxiety, but is now at home with her family and on the road to recovery. Bronach and Shane are hoping to raise £500 for Neurocare by taking part in the Head start run. The event includes a 5k and 10k route andtakes places at Rother Valley on 19 May. To take part and raise vital funds to support patients with neurological conditions visit www.neurocare.org.ukis