Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Inspiring volunteer up for award
A courageous mum who survived a catastrophic brain injury has been shortlisted for a national award for her work in helping other victims.
Sue Hawkins, 69, who lives in Canterbury, says she is thrilled to be one of only three UK nominees for the honour, presented by the charity Headway.
Her life was devastated when she suffered a near fatal brain haemorrhage the day after her 46th birthday in 1993 which left her severely disabled.
She had to give up her job as a sales assistant at the former Riceman’s store and responsibility for her teenage daughter, Nina fell to her husband Denis.
Sue spent 16 months in hospital, but with determination and the help of her family, she began to get back some of her abilities.
She was then persuaded to attend a support session at the local brain injury charity Headway East Kent, which helped her rebuild her mobility, speech, and other skills she had lost including, using a computer.
But she has spent 10 years repaying the charity for the sup- port by becoming a dedicated and indispensable volunteer.
She has made jams and knitted hats and baby clothes to raise money and hosted dinners for dozens of local families affected by brain injury as well as provided support for survivors.
Now she is one of three supporters of the national charity to be nominated for an Outstanding Contribution to Headway award, which will be presented at a ceremony in London on Friday, December 16.
She said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and still cannot believe I’ve been shortlisted for such a prestigious award.
“My parents were brilliant in the early days of my recovery. They came to see me every day and pushed me around the hospital in my wheelchair, but more support was needed.
“Becoming a member of Headway East Kent was the best thing that could have happened to me.
“At first, I was very reluctant to attend the sessions and felt I was in a very different state to the other members with brain injuries.
“But there are no words to explain what the charity has done for me and volunteering has been my way of saying thank you. Now I feel it is time to step back from volunteering, but I still find myself popping in once a month to help out with various bits and Headway will be a big part of my life for years to come.”
Manager of Headway East Kent Linda Kerley described Sue as “a very special lady”.
She said: “Not only has she been single-handedly responsible for monitoring our membership and running the Headway East Kent lottery, but she is also constantly doing round trips of her neighbours to collect items and donations for our centres and fundraising days.
“She will always be part of our Headway family.”