Woman ‘died’ twice after brain bleed – but now she’s back to work
SHE VOLUNTEERS AT VACCINE CLINIC ALONGSIDE HER DAY JOB
A YOUNG woman who ‘died twice’ on the operating table after suffering a brain bleed is back to work, having learned to walk, talk, read and write again.
Jade Henderson, an inspiring 23-year-old from Hartlepool, spent 10 days in an induced coma after collapsing on a night out with friends in November 2019.
Medical experts found that Jade had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which disrupts blood flow and oxygen circulation – a condition that she’d been living with unknowingly since she was born.
While she was in the coma she experienced a stroke, was resuscitated twice, and had to rushed back into surgery to have part of her skull bone removed.
“I was so poorly and when I came out of it, I didn’t even know what day it was.” she said.
“I was completely disorientated. thought it was 2016.”
Just a year after her heart stopped beating, Jade is back working as an airline cabin crew member and is vol
unteering at a North East hospital in a scheme called Operation Wingman.
She said: “I’ve been helping out in the coronavirus vaccine clinic at Queen Elizabeth in Gateshead, supporting doctors and nurses as much I can between flying. They are all so exhausted because of the pandemic.
“I wanted to give something back to the NHS after everything it’s done for me.
“The staff saved my life and work so hard to support patients like me.”
“You can see how tired the doctors and nurses are and it gives you a lump in your throat.
“It’s surreal that people believe the pandemic is real.”
Throughout her recovery, Jade has had to undergo various surgical procedures and has worked hard with her medical team to regain memories lost because of her stroke.
“I’ve had half of my skull removed, and replaced with titanium. It’s amazing technology but it’s a weird feeling – you get constant brain freeze.
“The side of my brain impacted means that I’ve lost both short term and long term memories, and my speech has been affected too,” she said.
“When I first came out of hospital it was prominently slurred, but I’ve been progressing fast.”
When asked what the most rewarding moment of recovery has been, Jade said it was learning to work her phone again.
“It was a great moment, because before I had to rely on my friends to read my text messages.”
“As soon as I was able to reply myself, I thought this is amazing – I’ve cracked it! It also felt great being able to log onto my emails and see all the supportive messages people had sent me.”
don’t
In September 2020, Jade travelled to Sheffield to receive gamma knife radiation treatment. This involved using small rays to deliver a precise dose of radiation to her remaining AVMS.
However, a recent scan found that the blood vessel in Jade’s brain is actually getting thicker: “Sadly, this means the treatment I had hasn’t worked.
“I now have to have another scan, which is an internal angiogram, and another round of surgery to try and shrink the blood vessel.
“I hope it’ll be gamma knife radiation again rather than brain surgery.
“I’m really looking for good news at the moment.”
Currently her condition is stable day to day, and when she’s not juggling volunteering and working, she is keen to raise awareness of her rare medical issue.
“I encourage anyone who feels that something isn’t right to get checked out as soon as possible,” she said.
“If you have migraines or eye sight problems such as blurred vision, go and seek advice from a professional.
“It might just save your life.”
THE family of Captain Sir Tom Moore have paid tribute to the veteran and NHS charity fundraiser at his funeral, saying his “message and his spirit lives on”.
Sir Tom’s coffin, draped in a union flag, was carried to the crematorium yesterday by soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment while a Second World War-era C-47 Dakota performed a flypast.
This was followed by a firing party of 14, each firing three rounds in unison before a small service got under way.
The service, at Bedford Crematorium yesterday, was attended by eight members of Sir Tom’s immediate family – his two daughters Hannah Ingram-moore and Lucy Teixeira, four grandchildren and his sons-in-law – all wearing masks.
It opened with the charity single Sir Tom recorded with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir, You’ll Never Walk Alone, which reached number one in the UK singles charts in April last year.
His daughter Lucy, 52, then paid tribute to Sir Tom, who captured the
hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday, raising more than £32m for the NHS.
She said: “Daddy, you always told us ‘best foot forward’ and true to your word that’s what you did last year, raising a fortune for the NHS and walking your way into the nation’s hearts.”
She added: “Daddy, I am so proud of you, what you achieved your whole live and especially in the last year.
“You may be gone but your message and your spirit lives on.”
Daughter Hannah said that the world had become “enthralled” by her father’s spirit of hope, positivity and resilience.
She added: “We are so proud of the way you handled everything that happened.
“We have been so close as a family before this but we were thrust even closer together as the world became enthralled by your spirit of hope, positivity and resilience.
“They too saw your belief in kindness
and the fundamental goodness human spirit.”
Sir Tom died at Bedford Hospital on February 2 after testing positive for Covid-19.
His funeral corteg set off from his home in Marston Moretaine at 11.30am.
A number of special items were placed on Sir Tom’s coffin, including a replica of his service cap from the Second World War, a wreath from the Yorkshire Regiment, his campaign medals, including the Burma Star, and his knighthood medal stitched on to a cushion.
There is also a specially-commissioned sword engraved with the motto of the Yorkshire Regiment on one side – “Fortune favours the brave” – and his own personal motto, “Tomorrow will be a good day”, on the other.
Singer Michael Buble recorded a version of the song Smile which was played at the funeral, along with The White Cliffs Of Dover by Dame Vera Lynn, I Vow To Thee My Country by Alife Boe and My Way by Frank Sinatra.
Members of the public were asked to stay at home and not attend the funeral, and many thousands of people have signed an online book of condolence instead.
In acknowledgement of his fundraising, Sir Tom was knighted by the Queen during a unique open-air ceremony at
of the
Windsor
2020.
Sir Tom’s 100th birthday celebrations last year included a Spitfire flypast and he was photographed punching the air as it went past.
The fundraiser served with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment during the Second World War.
The regiment later merged with two others from Yorkshire, becoming the Yorkshire Regiment, and Sir Tom was made an honorary colonel last August.
A bugler sounded The Last Post at the end of the private service.
Six representatives from the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, where Sir Tom was made an honorary colonel, formed a ceremonial guard.
There are plans to plant trees around the world in his honour, with Ms Teixeira hoping the “Trees for Tom” initiative will result in a wood in his home county of Yorkshire and the reforestation of part of India, where he served during the Second World War.
Sir Tom asked that his epitaph reads: “I told you I was old”, in reference to comedian Spike Milligan’s famous epitaph: “I told you I was ill.”
Once Covid-19 restrictions permit, the family will inter Sir Tom’s ashes in Yorkshire, with his parents and grandparents in the Moore family plot.
Castle
in
the
summer
of
AFTER more than a year of being separated from their loved ones, care home residents and their families have lost precious time that they will never be able to get back.
Only being able to see each other through digital and perspex screens, care home residents are delighted to be allowed one regular visitor from March 8 as lockdown restrictions begin to ease.
They will be able to meet indoors and hold hands – but visitors must wear PPE and have a lateral flow test.
This week, families in the North East spoke of their delight as they can finally be reunited with their loved ones.
Winnie Storey is a resident of Eothen Homes Gosforth and hasn’t been able to hug her daughter since March last year.
The 95-year-old grandma has only been able to see her daughter, Anne Purdie, in a gazebo on the grounds during the summer and in an indoor visiting pod during the colder months.
But finally, Winnie is looking forward to being able to be in the same room with her without a perspex screen keeping them apart.
Winnie, who has lived at the home for four years, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing Anne without a screen as when you are in the pod you do have privacy but you feel like you don’t.
“I’m delighted it has been lifted, but it could have gone further as just seeing one of the family is not enough, nor is it fair to the family. My three sons and grandchildren live in Scotland. One year is a long time to not see my family when I’m getting old.
“But we have to do what Mr Johnson says. I’m so pleased to be able to see my daughter properly but I do miss seeing friends and other people.”
And her daughter Anne added: “I think it’s great. It will be lovely to sit faceto-face and actually feel we are together when we meet.
“It will be nice to hold hands as it has been a long time. It will be easier communicating rather than through a phone or perspex screen.”
Jane Littlewood has only been able to visit her 93-year-old grandma once over the past year due to coronavirus restrictions.
A couple of weeks ago Jane visited her grandma, Tina Randall, a resident at West Farm Care Centre, Longbenton, in a visiting pod but found it difficult to communicate properly with her.
Tina suffers from vascular dementia and has found it hard to understand why her family are unable to come inside and can’t hug and kiss her.
But now the great-grandma-of-three is looking forward to her 74-year-old son, Frank, visiting from March 8.
Granddaughter Jane said: “It was great to see her but it was strange for us all.
“Video calls have been great for us but not for her as she can’t understand the technology and process the different type of contact.
“She’s from Milan, so being Italian she is a physical person, she loves to kiss a person and gets cross when we can’t go in.
“My dad will be able to hold her hand and communicate easily as with her dementia, communication is already strained in the first place, without the added complication of technology so it will be easier for her.
“It’s such a relief for her as it’s been such a long haul with no or little contact with families. To be able to open doors and allow one family member is just really reassuring.”
Like other family
members,
Pat
Golightly is looking forward to seeing her 93-year-old mum.
But she feels apprehensive about the Government’s announcement as she has been disappointed by their promise that families would be able to see their loved ones last Christmas.
Pat’s mum Kitty is a resident at Cramlington House, Northumberland. Luckily her room is on the ground floor so Pat has been able to visit her and chat with her mum through the window.
The 67-year-old, from North Shields, said: “It’s great, my only reservation is we had the self-same promise made to us by Matt Hancock before Christmas claiming you’ll be able to go in and hug your loved ones for Christmas because of lateral flow tests – which didn’t happen.
“I’m not sure if I trust what they are saying about the lateral flow testing, as apparently, they are only 47% accurate.
“It is worrying especially for many who haven’t been vaccinated yet and it is annoying the amount of money and time wasted on this.
“Residents at Cramlington House have now all had the first dose of the vaccine, and in a couple of weeks time, on March 14, they should receive their second dose, so it will be by the end of March that family members can enter as a precaution.
“I desperately want to see my mum. I want things to go back to normal as soon as I can.
“I used to do her hair, nails, facial, sing songs, three times a week. She misses that and I miss it just as much.
“If it all works as they say it will, then yes I’m thrilled to bits but I’m not getting over-excited right this minute.”