In the run-up to Christmas a donation of £10,000 has been made to the Leeds based charity Day One Trauma Support by Hudgell Solicitors.
The funding will support families during the immediate aftermath of a life-changing injury with accommodation so loved ones can remain near to a hospital and to provide clothes for patients who had theirs cut away following an accident.
Every year around 25,000 people are admitted to a UK Major Trauma Centre with life-changing injuries caused by incidents such as road crashes, falls from height, serious criminal assaults and sporting accidents. That’s 68 people each day.
The extra resources will allow Day One Trauma to support more families across Hull and East Yorkshire, York, Greater Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield.
When a loved one is admitted to a Major Trauma Centre there may be costs associated with travelling to see them in hospital and staying overnight in a hotel or B&B. Emergency funding is available to cover the costs incurred including:
- travel and accommodation
- parking
- clothes, food and toiletries
- cost of equipment needed to be discharged from hospital, such as mobility aids not readily available through the NHS.
Each family’s circumstances are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and assistance of up to £250 a day could be available.
Michelle Maltby of Hudgell Solicitors, who oversees the firm’s community grants, said:
“Our support for Day One Trauma recognises not only the invaluable work they do but also the unforeseen difficulties many families find themselves in when a loved one is suddenly admitted to hospital with serious injuries.
“These grants make a real difference to people worried, not only about their family members, but also how they can continue to be by their side supporting them.
“We’re very grateful that we have this opportunity to make a difference to what we know can be a traumatic time. These grants are hugely important as they allow families to be at a patient’s bedside when they are most needed.
“At Hudgell Solicitors we appreciate the importance of ensuring that people who find themselves in difficult, unexpected situations are able to reach out for help and we are delighted to support Day One Trauma who can be there for them with their specialist knowledge.”
The emergency grants support people like Sophie Bracken who broke her back, pelvis, legs and shattered her ankle after landing on a concrete pavement after falling from a window.
Rachel and Sophie
Sophie was treated at Salford Royal’s Major Trauma Centre. Her mum Rachel was sleeping on plastic chairs and being moved on by hospital security, as she couldn’t afford a hotel.
Rachel, a nurse at Braford Royal Infirmary, received a grant from Day One Trauma Support which meant she was able to have a bed for the night close to the hospital and was there to give her 23-year-old ‘baby girl’ a hug and tell her “everything would be OK”.
“Having my mum there impacted my recovery in such a positive way. I don’t think I could have got through it without having my family with me.
“The care I received was fantastic. I was lucky to be in one of the best hospitals in the country. But you do feel on your own. It was great that we had Day One to help us, and I felt better knowing my mum had someone to support her.”
Her mother Rachel said: “The emergency funding came at the right time. I was able to give Sophie so much more support, knowing I only had a six-minute bus ride back to the hotel.
“If Day One hadn’t have been there, it would have been a different story. It would have been harder for Sophie, but 10 times harder for me. I think it would have played heavily on Sophie’s mental health and her recovery too.”
As well as emergency funding, Day One Trauma Support offers patients and families counselling, legal, benefits and welfare advice, as well as peer support from those who have been through a similar situation.
The financial support for Day One Trauma was announced during a visit to The Leeds Major Trauma Centre by Hudgell Solicitors’ Samuel McFadyen, manager of serious injury claims in Hull, Sarah Patten, manager of serious injuries in Manchester and Michelle Maltby.
The centre is one of 23 similar ones across England and is their second busiest, serving a region from the Yorkshire Dales in the north-west to Hull in the east and Sheffield in the south.
The centre manages injured adults and children admitted for emergency care. Often the major trauma team assembles with just a five-minute warning.
Craig Linton, director of fundraising and marketing at Day One Trauma Support, which relies on donations and fundraising to support patients said:
“We’re so grateful for this generous donation that will make such a difference to those who need support when their life has been turned upside down following a catastrophic injury.
“By providing emergency grants like this we can help ease some of the financial burden people face during an incredibly stressful time. We’re so grateful for the support from Hudgell Solicitors so we can help even more people start rebuilding their life.”
Jason and Emma Milner, from Wakefield
At a time of ‘cost of living crisis’ the emergency grants have helped support other families including Jason and Emma Milner, from Wakefield, were supported by Day One Trauma after Jason was hit by a car while cycling to work.
The charity covered Emma’s travel and parking costs. “When a policeman knocked on my door, my heart instantly sank. I feared the worse. He told me Jason had been knocked off his bike while cycling to work.
“In that split second, I just pictured him lying on the floor. I kept thinking about how scared and alone he must have felt. I didn’t want him to be scared and alone again. I needed to be by his side in hospital. For him to know I was there for him. For him to hold our daughter Ava.
“We had no money. We were already down to one salary. I was on maternity leave. Rather than focusing on my husband, I was worrying about the cost of petrol, parking, the new clothes he would need because of his injuries.
“That’s when I was put in touch with Day One Trauma Support. Knowing I could get to the hospital every day and I could park the car or get a lift and it wasn’t going to add a financial burden on an already financially stressful time. It just meant the world.”
