Getting my life reset: Living with an acquired brain injury: The Irish experience

Brain injury is a hidden phenomenon in our society. Rarely, if ever, do we get to hear the voice of the person living with ABI. This report, using a research framework, lifts the lid and lets us gain an insight into what life is like for people with a brain injury. It provides a valuable insight into the lived experience, illustrates the challenges people face with life altering, traumatic change and how they strive to live a meaningful life of their own choosing in the aftermath. It illuminates, in very clear terms, the barriers faced, the lack of services that people contend with and difficulties experienced in trying to get access to services. While the report captures the lived experience of people with brain injury, it also clearly demonstrates the massive contribution that families make, both in the short and long term. It tells stories of families who never gave up on their loved one and the extraordinary determination on their part to make life better. There is also a strong message of hope from the research that people living with brain injury display the ability to adapt and be resilient even when faced with such adversity. This is essential reading for all of us involved in the brain injury world. It is essential reading for health policy makers who are framing policy on neurorehabilitation. It is essential reading for our elected representatives who need to hear these stories and understand what people with ABI and their families deserve in their decisions regarding the allocation of resources. Thank you to Professor Orla Muldoon and the team of researchers who conducted the research. It is a really valuable contribution to brain injury discourse in Ireland.