Rola Azizeh’s son Joseph had already gained his undergraduate law degree, graduating top of his class at the University of Jordan before moving to London to begin a Masters in law at Queen Mary University.
Rola, 53, felt immense pride knowing that Joseph, her eldest son, was forging a successful career in law. However, one evening in 2017, Rola took a phone call that every parent dreads, with the news that Joseph had been involved in a catastrophic car accident.
Joseph was a pedestrian, crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing, when he was hit by a car just days after he had arrived in London to begin his Masters.
After she took the phone call, Rola didn’t think twice. She packed her bag to be at Jospeh’s bedside. She has been by his side ever since, moving her entire family to England and giving up their family home to support Joseph through his journey following his brain injury.
Each year, Headway holds a glittering awards ceremony, celebrating the achievements and contributions of people with brain injuries and those who support them. This year, the event was held at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in Mayfair.
Rola has now received Headway – the brain injury association's Carer of the Year Award - sponsored by Hugh James. It was presented by Headway Chief Executive Luke Griggs and Deborah Sleightholme, Partner at Hugh James.
Rola remembers the moment she first spoke to a doctor at the Royal London Hospital when she was told her son had a ‘life-changing’ traumatic brain injury.
“I just didn’t want to hear it,” Rola recalled. “I asked to speak to Joseph, but the doctor just repeated himself – ‘life-changing injury’. I can still hear his voice saying those words to me.
“I remember every detail of everything that happened. I remember the pain I felt, and I remember feeling helpless and lost,” she said.
Rola was nominated by Joseph’s long-time legal representative, Scott Rigby.
Scott said: “As a family, the Azizeh family were always close, and they remain so thanks to Rola's strength and determination.
“She selflessly decided to give up all that she had before and to dedicate her life to Joseph's wellbeing and the wellbeing of her family.
“Rola knows that Joseph will never be able to return to live in Palestine as they have no specialist neuro-rehabilitation resources or specialist carers, so she has supported her three other children in relocating to England and rebuilding their lives, guiding them into education and promising careers.”
After Joseph's accident, he spent five months in the Royal London Hospital, including 4 weeks in a coma, and remained in a vegetative state for several months.
Despite initially being given little chance of survival and facing setbacks like pneumonia and seizures, his mother, Rola, never gave up hope and fought to get him transferred to a specialist neuro-rehabilitation unit.
Joseph started to slowly emerge from a vegetative state seven months after the accident. He was eventually discharged from the unit in December 2017, though months of rehabilitation at various hospitals were to follow. Each time funding for Joseph's place was reviewed, Rola fought to maintain his place, knowing he needed as much care as he could get if he was to recover.
“Rola was effectively Joseph’s case manager, as well as being his mother and chief carer,” Scott said.
“She never gave up hope and remained by Joseph's side, sitting with him and supporting him each day for as long as the staff would allow.”
When the pandemic restricted hospital visits, Rola negotiated to self-isolate with Joseph, learning to administer his medications. Since then, she’s been a crucial part of his care team, ensuring he has a fulfilling life. She has arranged family holidays, helped him return to his studies, and even organized flying lessons and a meeting with the Pope.
Joseph, now able to walk with assistance and communicate, is writing a book and has returned to university.
Luke Griggs, Chief Executive of Headway – the brain injury association, said:
“Rola is so deserving of this recognition. The way she has supported Joseph – and her whole family – after his devastating brain injury is absolutely incredible.”
“Her determination to not just navigate the years following Joseph’s accident but to see her whole family thrive is something that should inspire us all.”
Scott concluded: “Rola is the most understated person I know. She never thinks of herself; she only thinks of how to make the lives of others better.
“Although her life has been changed forever as a result of her son's brain injury, she always manages, in her selfless and humble way, to enrich the lives of whoever she meets.”Back
