“He was hit by a car crossing the road,” Rachel recalls. “The doctors said he’d had a massive brain haemorrhage and might not survive. I remember collapsing when I heard those words.”
Phil was in a coma for three weeks. It was Christmas Eve when Rachel had to tell their four-year-old son, Sam, that his dad might not make it.
“He asked me if it was still Christmas,” she says. “I remember thinking, ‘I can do this. I have to. For Sam.’”
This Christmas, Rachel is sharing her family’s story with you to support Headway’s 2025 Christmas Appeal.
“It costs £820 a day to run the Headway helpline – and the average emergency fund grant is £228. That support changes lives. It changed ours.”
Rachel says she’s grateful every day for the help they received. “Headway gave us the tools to move forward. They helped us find hope, even in the darkest moments. I’m so glad they’re here for other families like mine.”
Please support Headway this Christmas. Your donation could be the lifeline another family desperately needs.
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About brain injury
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