During Carers Week, 10th – 16th June 2024, Headway UK held a poetry competition asking brain injury survivors and their Carers to put pen to paper and submit a wee ditty in honour of Carers, or from a Carers perspective.

Headway Ayrshire are delighted to announce that Carer Diane Wilson was awarded second place with her fantastic poem, The Brain Injury Sister. Well done, Diane!

Further to that success, a poem penned by Headway Ayrshire Client, Karen Danks, has been selected for publication in a book of poems by brain injury survivors. What a fantastic achievement, well done, Karen!

 

You can read both poems below:

 

The Brain Injury Sister by Diane Wilson

How that day changed our life

Maybe for the better

Teaching her skills of daily life

Of her fatigue

Or maybe her ability

The fun, laughter, tears, and moods

Listen to frustrations

Both learning of ways achieving goals

Giving her independence

Keeping her safe

And living this new life to the full

 

I am… by Karen Danks

I am Karen

I am more than a brain injury

I am more than change

I am more than laughter

I am more than crazy

I am more than lack of memory

I am more than fatigue

I am more than forgetfulness

I am more than no motivation

I am more than frustrations

I am more than no filters

I am more than no emotions

I am more than causing frustration

I am lucky

I am the new Karen