Life does not need to stop after a brain injury, it can be the start of a new chapter – that’s the inspirational message which will be delivered at a major conference in Shropshire this month.
The ‘Thriving After Brain Injury’ conference is being hosted by Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury on Wednesday, March 6.
A range of speakers will take to the stage, some describing their own experiences of battling back after a brain injury, with others highlighting innovative rehabilitation and therapy techniques.
Dawn Humphries, head of the personal injury team at Lanyon Bowdler, said the conference was set to be an emotional and uplifting event.
She said: “We are honoured to be welcoming a range of people to share their experiences of not only dealing with serious injury, but of positively flourishing in the face of adversity.
“The conference is aimed at professionals working with, and people living with, brain injury – with former captain of the England and GB hockey team, Alex Danson MBE, and GB paralympic footballer, Jack Rutter, headlining an impressive panel of speakers.
“Alex Danson won an Olympic gold medal in 2016, along with a host of medals in the Commonwealth Games, before retiring from hockey in 2020 due to a serious concussion injury, which changed her life.
“Jack Rutter was a promising young footballer playing for Birmingham City’s youth team when he suffered a traumatic brain injury after being attacked outside a nightclub in 2009.
“He will talk to us about how he has overcome incredibly difficult challenges to eventually captain the GB football team at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.
“It will be a fascinating day, with stories of tremendous courage and resilience interspersed with experts discussing the very latest in rehabilitation and support services.”
Other speakers will include Andrew Worthington of Headwise, Hannah Wright, a brain injury coordinator and counsellor at Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, and Daniel Thomas, a qualified music therapist at Chroma.
Andrew Worthington, a specialist in neuropsychological rehabilitation based in Shropshire, said he was looking forward to speaking at the conference.
He said: “My presentation is about the challenges of living with brain injury, and how it’s possible not just to survive but thrive.
“We will explore the various ways that brain injury affects emotions, behaviour and cognition, both positively and negatively, which can provide the basis for a personal journey to recovery and fulfilment.”
A limited number of tickets for the conference are still available – for more information visit www.lblaw.co.uk/press-and-events/events-and-seminars or call 01743 280280.
