Our support and rehabilitation co-ordinators helped Ellie after a road traffic accident left her with a serious injury to her leg. Alongside Day One, we continue to give her valuable support.
What happened to Ellie?
Ellie had recently taken up running as part of her recovery from alcohol addiction. While running early one morning, she came to a crossroad and ran across the road when the green man appeared.
As she ran across the road, she was hit by a car. Ellie did a 360 flip over the bonnet, landing on the road and hitting her head on the ground. The car also ran over Ellie’s leg, and she could see bones sticking out of her leg.
An off-duty doctor was nearby and gave initial support before paramedics and police arrived. Ellie was taken to the Major Trauma Centre at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Initially, doctors thought they might need to amputate Ellie’s leg because it was broken in several places, as well as her ankle being broken into four parts. They didn’t need to amputate her leg, instead, they did a skin graft, taking skin from her groin to put on her leg.
Three weeks after being discharged from the hospital, she was re-admitted due to an infection and was again at risk of amputation.
How did this impact Ellie’s life?
Before the accident, Ellie had struggled with her mental health, and the accident only made this worse. Her family didn’t live nearby, meaning she was alone most of the time.
Ellie lived in a first-floor flat but couldn’t leave after being discharged because there was no lift. This severely impacted her mental health, and she questioned how she’d get through it.
How did we help Ellie?
Through one of our partner charities, Day One, Ellie came to us for help with both her legal claim and further support and rehabilitation.
While Ellie’s legal claim for her road traffic accident is still ongoing, she worked with Support and Rehabilitation Co-ordinator (SRC), Kerry Wood.
Ellie could access some psychological treatment through Day One, but until it started our SRC was able to support and advocate for Ellie. Before discharge, Ellie had a lot of anxieties and questions about her injuries, her potential for recovery and the legal process, the SRC was able to clarify and reassure her.
Ellie’s injuries meant she couldn’t wear normal footwear, so the SRC researched alternatives and found a product that could accommodate Ellie’s foot due to injuries.
Ellie was able to find new suitable homing. While she did that, we helped her register with a new GP. The amount of medication Ellie needed, and her limited mobility, made things a real challenge.
The SRC researched and connected Ellie to local addiction services, so she remained supported and not isolated. We also introduced other community services to make sure Ellie remained well and didn’t feel overwhelmed.
Even post-discharge from the hospital, the SRC had regular meetings with Ellie and the Day One Caseworker. This was to make sure all her needs were identified, and Ellie felt up to date with what was going on.
Ellie’s feedback
Ellie continues to work with Kerry and on the support provided, she said: “Kerry has been a huge support to be post-accident and has been a stable, consistent outlet and resource for me.
“Our weekly meetings give me space to offload and be open about all my issues and the impact the accident has had on me in a very inclusive holistic way, which I find is lacking in my NHS treatment.
“She has helped me research and source activities and aids. I have cried and let go as we’ve built a trusting relationship. I feel she understands me and is a great connection between myself and the legal team. Her role is invaluable to me.”
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