Emma's story

Emma had a thriving media career, rising through the ranks from local TV all the way to international productions, eventually landing a job as director of hit international TV programme – ‘How Do They Do It?’

At the peak of her career, the unthinkable happened. Whilst on holiday in Vietnam, Emma contracted an infection. Initially brushing this off as a minor illness, it was only when Emma arrived back in the UK, she realised the true impact of what had happened.

“Christmas was coming up and I was going with four friends on holiday to Vietnam. I think I had two weeks holiday, and the first week was great. Then I remember the last three days or so I started feeling a little bit strange, a little bit not quite myself. I was feeling a bit dizzy, a bit forgetful, I just wasn't me.

“Weirdly, I bumped into a doctor who I knew from London, he looked into my eyes, and he could see that there was something wrong with my brain just by looking into them. Thankfully, he didn't tell me this at the time. He just said that you've got three days left of your holiday, I advise you to get on your flight home and go straight to the Royal London Hospital.

“I can’t really remember the flight home, but my friend took me straight to the Hospital as suggested. I ended up spending eight weeks there as an inpatient overlooking Whitechapel.

"I was then transferred to the Queen Elizabeth for eight weeks of rehab. Because I kept falling out of bed, I had a private room on my own. I was writhing as my body was trying to fight the virus.

"Because they didn't really know what to do with me, they just filled me with steroids. The doctor said this was the only solution as it would reduce the inflammation.

“I had encephalitis, which means swelling of the brain.

“The scariest point for me was when I realised I'd lost the processes stored in my brain. I couldn't even remember how to make a cup of tea. I was taken to the kitchen by hospital staff, and I remember them saying to me, well, can you make a cup of tea?

“I thought to myself, of course I can make a cup of tea, I love it. I then quickly realised that the memory of the processes involved had totally gone.”

It wasn’t just making a cup of tea which Emma struggled with, she also had to relearn the processes involved with walking, showering and everyday tasks like tying her shoes laces. Later Emma realised she couldn’t read a screen or type anymore; this was due to a condition called alexia; where a person who already knows how to read loses the ability to fully understand written words after a brain injury. It has also impacted her short-term memory to this day.

“The final stage of rehabilitation was in Roehampton, that was two hours away from my house in Hackney. The journey to get there was tiring, add on top of that a three-hour rehab session, and then a two-hour return journey, and I was totally exhausted by the time I got home.

“It’s 13 years since my injury and I still struggle with fatigue. I have to be really conscious to pace myself.

“My rehabilitation was with a lovely lady, Diane du Plessis. She was encouraging me to stay in TV. I always thought I could return, but because of my visual processing and memory issues I needed a support worker which made it more challenging.

“I realised that podcasting was the only way forward for me. My first podcast was called The Longest Battle. I would interview celebrities who'd gone through life-changing situations. The final one was with Heather Mills. I was a bit nervous on the day, but I think it was a good podcast - do have a listen.”

After this, lockdown hit, and Emma moved back to Norfolk to live with her parents.

“I was never sad about leaving London. I was quite glad in a way. I'd always thought about moving back home, and in a way it just naturally happened.

“During lockdown, I started working for Headway Norfolk & Waveney. I did three series of ‘Headpods’ in conjunction with Headway and I also co-hosted a peer support group coffee morning.”

Headpods are interviews with brain injury survivors and medical professionals, you can listen to their stories here.

Emma now lives independently in Norwich. Reflecting on her recovery she states “my friends and family are the people who have helped the most, 100%. I'm very, very grateful for everyone who's helped me through it all. I couldn't have done it without them. It’s been probably the hardest things that anyone could go through.

“My one piece of advice for someone in the same situation as me, would be to keep pushing forward. Always try out different avenues. If you feel you are getting blocked one way, go around the obstacle or literally go sideways and try a different approach.  With a brain injury it sometimes takes a while, but in the end you should get through, if you keep persisting.

Little by little you will get better.

You can discover more about Emma's work on her Linktree page.