Natalie Parr, aged 32, from Coventry
Natalie has learned how to live again after suffering a debilitating illness. In her mid-20s she was working as a teacher of children with special needs, her whole life ahead of her. But five years ago she suffered a brain injury caused by a viral illness and spent 11 months in hospital. She needed to use a wheelchair and had complex medical problems and was dependent on others for basic needs.
“I lost everything,” she says. “My independence, confidence, friends, my vision of the future, my job, my identity, my dreams and the ability to do even the most basic tasks.” As part of her rehabilitation she enrolled on the Acquired Brain Injury Programme at Warwickshire College. She attended classes in ceramics, art and craft, photography, IT, work skills and setting up a small business, gaining OCN entry level qualifications in all the subjects.
Natalie also did work experience at a primary school and in the college nursery, which boosted her confidence and left her feeling positive about working with children again. Her photographs and art have been displayed in the college’s annual art exhibition, and she was produced several commissioned pieces of artwork.
Natalie also learned to use a laptop to improve her IT skills, and achieved long-term goals including travelling independently by taxi, and performing on the piano for the first time since her illness.
She says: “Adult learning to me has been my lifeline during these past few years, and still will be. It has made my find my potential as a person.”