Support Lisha's recovery and help her come home.

Hi, I'm Rach, and I am Lisha's mum.

As many of you will know, Alisha was the happiest, most positive, independent young lady with the world at her feet. She was passionate about her job and wanted to excel in her role as a trainee Veterinary Nurse. Lisha loved her family and friends, was highly loyal and would do anything for them. Alisha loved to walk her dogs through the fields and at the beach- animals were her passion; she had been riding horses her whole life and enjoyed the tranquillity of hacking with family members and friends. She never rode horses without the complete safety equipment as she understood the implications had she not done so.

 

In March 2021, Alisha had a catastrophic horse-riding accident on a public highway. She was airlifted to Southmead Hospital, Bristol. We were informed that she had received a traumatic brain injury and needed an emergency operation to relieve the pressure on her brain, a craniectomy, a procedure where part of the skull is removed. We were told that the chances of Lisha surviving the next 24 hours were minimal and that the family needed to come and say their goodbyes. Fortunately, Lisha fought hard and got through the next 48 hours; however, she developed a blood clot on the opposite side of the brain that the craniectomy procedure had been done, and she needed further emergency surgery.

 

Over the following four weeks, Alisha remained in an induced coma to allow her body to recoup and give her the best possible chance of recovery. After that long four week wait, Alisha's sedation was gradually reduced, but she remained in a prolonged disorder of consciousness until October. During these seven months, Lisha had further operations and procedures, including tracheostomy, PEG feed into the stomach, reconstruction of her skull and a shunt fitted to regulate the hydrocephalus. Lisha was also moved to a rehab facility during this time which is where her recovery journey began.

 

Alisha has many significant physical, cognitive and communicational difficulties and impairments that limit her abilities to participate in functional daily living and activities. She has a right-sided weakness, meaning she cannot walk, has apraxia, has minimal communication skills, and becomes very anxious and distressed with new people and environments. With that being said, her inner strength shines, and you often see glimpses of that in her determination, her smile and her eyes.

 

Lisha is making significant steps towards small milestones in her recovery, which means that she is closer to being able to come home; however, huge adaptations need to be done to the house, our home, before this is possible. We need to build a ground floor specialised bedroom and bathroom in order to meet Alisha's complex needs. We have been through the social services and SSDC and are in the process of having planning permission granted. This will be extremely expensive; however, as a family, we want to give Alisha the best chance of an everyday life surrounded by everyone who loves her; she deserves that more than anything. We are so proud of her and need her home.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this; I appreciate any help, be it a donation or spreading awareness of Alisha and our story.

 

Much Love, Rach and family. x