Re: Summer 2016 | Page 77

their family member has a brain injury as they are often caught between grieving for the loved one they have lost and learning to love the person they are now. For the person who has suffered the injury the documentary showed that they may not be aware of these changes, no matter how significant they are. When talking to Amanda and her husband Rob, 3 days after Amanda had returned to the family home, Louis asked whether she felt that she had changed or had any form of brain injury. Amanda’s answer, simply no. When asked for his perspective, Rob didn’t agree and you even saw Amanda shake her head, like she knew what was coming. It was said that she had lost her “squishy” side, and what became obvious throughout the programme was that it was this change that was the most emotionally disruptive and hard to grasp for them both, not to mention their two young children. understandable and one that all of the people featured seem to share to one extent or another. Yet, once again, providing this independence (if possible and viable for the patient) costs money and time but not having it appeared to cause more tension and issues than any other aspect of the brain injury for some of those featured. In all, the documentary was exactly what you would hope for and expect of a Louis Theroux documentary. It was well presented, well thought out and it made you really grateful for the life you live, as well asking yourself what would you do in such a situation. Of course, not all brain injuries occur after a person has become an adult and nor are they all the result of an unfortunate accident (as appeared to be the case for those in the documentary). Some people suffer such injuries at birth through complications or as a result of other people’s negligence, and for them and their families the road may be similar yet, at times, very different. By Jenny Crocker What was striking throughout the documentary though was the unconditional love still held by the parent or partner for their changed family member. Despite having to deal with the, at times, extreme changes in their behaviour, the perhaps increased burden on their day to day life and the distressing idea that they may be caring for them for the rest of their lives, the families still loved them, still cared for them and still wanted them. Let’s not forget that these changes to these lives can also cost money. Care, equipment, moving to a more suitable property or just funding their more expensive tastes all cost money that some families may not have. For some of the necessary costs help can be sought from charities such as the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust and Headway (a similar charity that works to improve lives after brain injury), but others will not be funded in this way and this can have a real impact on a family’s expenses and income. But not every person with a brain injury wants to be cared for for the rest of their life. One of the subjects in the documentary, Dan, expressed towards the end of the programme that he wanted to “get out” of the rehabilitation unit. His talk with Louis away from the doctor was bordering on deeply distressing. For someone with a brain injury that was said to impair his judgement, he made a well reasoned argument to prove himself and you couldn’t help but hope that one day he may be able to do so. This strive for independence is 75