Jen suffered a traumatic brain injury after she fainted and hit her head. This April she will run the London Marathon as part of Team #BrainResearch.
"Seven years ago, I fainted in a kitchen and fell backwards, fracturing my skull. I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, likely with some intracerebral contusion. The cause of the faint is still unknown.
Sharing the normality surrounding the circumstances of my brain injury is often met with underwhelm. An injury like mine often comes with a story - a car accident, skiing accident or something dramatic.
I had a CT scan two days later, where I was fully diagnosed and plans for the future could start. Recovery was filled with a lot of hope ‘we’ll see how it goes’ and doctors' best guesses on next steps, as so much is still unknown about brain injuries.
I was blessed with a range of medical support and an abundance of personal support from family and friends, as well as an employer who was incredibly patient and generous.
For a long time, there was so much I couldn't do as it was too fatiguing and the potential consequences too severe to make it worth it. The impact extended across every aspect of my life, including social, career, and mental and physical health. One of these things was running, which is what makes now being able to run the TCS London Marathon for Brain Research UK in 2025 so rewarding.
I think the unique thing about a brain injury (in comparison to other life challenges I have experienced) is that you can't 'work harder' or do more physio, or use 'willpower' or 'grit' to push through it. Doing less is what was needed. Less grit, less focus, less activity. Less of everything. Learning to cope with this, along with the loss of myself was one of the most challenging parts of my brain injury.
I think there are some statistics showing that 50% of brain injuries result in depression within the first year. Being forced to reshape who I thought I was; I can absolutely believe it.
I would never wish a brain injury upon anyone, and I certainly would never want to experience it again, but I can vividly see the impact it has had on who I am and the things I value, and for that I am grateful. I consider myself extremely lucky to be living a 'normal life' again. Many of the friends I met along the way haven't been so lucky, and live with ongoing symptoms.
Brains are a crucial part of our body yet there are still so many unknowns. I’d love to see what funding more research can uncover in the hope we can see more people recover from brain injury and illness.”
Jen’s story shows how serious the consequences of even a seemingly minor injury to the brain can be. Whilst she is now largely recovered from her injury, others aren't so lucky – as she highlights above. Brain injury survivors can be left with serious, long-term, life-limiting consequences. There is a desperate need for therapies that will help restore function in these patients.
We have made research into brain injury a research priority in recognition of this need. In one project we are currently funding, PhD student Giada Vanacore is focusing on a population of primitive ‘progenitor’ cells in an area of the brain called the cerebellum, which regulates movement, coordination and balance as well as many cognitive and social functions. Damage to the cerebellum can impact all of these functions.
Working with Dr Sumru Bayin at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, Giada is exploring whether these progenitor cells can be activated to induce regeneration and repair after injury. This research will fill a major knowledge gap in our understanding of the regenerative mechanisms in the brain, while determining the value of a new therapeutic approach to stimulate the regenerative ability of progenitor cells.
Jen is one of 300 members of Team #BrainResearch who will be taking to the streets of London on 27th April, united in their desire to raise funds for neurological research.
It is only thanks to the extraordinary efforts of people like this that we are able to fund vital brain research. If you're inspired by Jen's story, please consider making a donation to support our work, or look for ideas for other ways in which you could get involved in our work.
