Michelle wins national award

02 December 2011

An Aberdeen woman who sustained a severe brain injury seven years ago has won a national award for her selfless dedication to helping other people affected by brain injury.

Michelle Coulson, 31, has been named Campaigner of the Year in the annual awards run by Headway - the brain injury association. Michelle, who beat-off competition from across the UK, was presented with the award at a glittering ceremony held at London's Dorchester Hotel on Friday 2 December.

In February 2004, Michelle was involved in a serious road traffic accident. Michelle was on her way to work as an English teacher at a secondary school when an overtaking van swerved in front of her, forcing her to brake hard. Michelle's car slid across the road into an oncoming vehicle and was instantly crushed.

Emergency services found Michelle conscious but trapped. After being cut free from the car, she was rushed to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Before they could get there however, Michelle had a seizure in the ambulance and fell into a coma. By the time she was admitted, her Glasgow Coma Scale score was just four.

Michelle was transferred from A&E to the high-dependency unit, via intensive care. She remained in a coma for three-and-a-half weeks. At one point doctors warned her parents she might remain in a persistent vegetative state, but slowly Michelle began to wake up.

Physically she couldn't move her left side, her left eye remained closed and she had difficulties with speech. Cognitively she suffered from post-traumatic amnesia and also had issues with concentration.

It was five months until she was allowed leave hospital, and this marked the beginning of a long road to recovery. After a brief spell in a rehabilitation unit, Michelle returned home to her flat, where she was supported by her parents, Eleanor and Graham.
Despite make excellent progress with her recovery, Michelle was unable to return to work. However, she was offered an opportunity to put her skills to use by volunteering to help adults with learning difficulties at the Ellon Resource Centre in Aberdeenshire.

Michelle took on the challenge and, just two years after the accident that almost took her life, she was asked to speak to newly-qualified nurses on the brain injury ward at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary about what it's like to live with a brain injury. Having always been a keen public speaker, Michelle thrived on this challenge and was soon being asked to speak to GPs. Since that first invitation, Michelle has spoken to numerous groups of medical professionals to give a first-hand experience of life after brain injury.

Keen to do as much as possible to improve the services available to people affected by brain injury in Aberdeenshire, Michelle has dedicated the past five years to helping wherever she possibly can. She is a member of numerous brain injury forums and working groups and her insight is helping to shape the new community brain injury service at the Wishaw General Hospital.

Michelle is also a committee member of the Brain Injury Grampian Group, which is affiliated to Headway, the national charity working to improve life after brain injury. Here, she provides moral and practical support to others affected by brain injury - including carers and family members.

Michelle was presented with her award by Beverley Turner, wife of double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell, who sustained a brain injury in 2010, and Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway - the brain injury association.

"As soon as you meet Michelle, you cannot fail to be impressed by her positive attitude and determination to help others," said Peter McCabe. "She has shown tremendous courage and strength to rebuild her life following the accident, and that recovery in itself is inspirational.

"Even more impressive, however, is her drive to help other people. By bravely sharing her deeply personal experiences of brain injury with medical professionals in order to improve the care and support others receive, she has done a huge amount to raise awareness of the often hidden effects of brain injury.

"Michelle is a very special person and hugely deserving of this accolade."

The Headway Annual Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of people with brain injuries and those working to support them.

Other winners collecting their awards at The Dorchester Hotel in London were Bruce Galleway, from Essex (Volunteer of the Year), Sandy Allis from Lincolnshire (Carer of the Year), Max Muteliso from Leeds (Achiever of the Year), and Norman Keen from London (The Stephen McAleese Outstanding Contribution to Headway Award).