"Coming to Thrive helped me come to terms with my new life and allowed me to look to the future, rather than the past."
These are Mark’s words, and he knows first hand how Thrive can make a real difference.
Four years ago, Mark’s life changed forever when he was seriously injured in a road accident, which is something that could happen to any of us. He was a passenger in a friend’s car which flipped onto its roof, careered down an embankment, and crashed into a tree.
Mark’s brain injuries were so serious that he was put into a coma for 5 months to give his body time to recover. When he left hospital, he spent two years in a residential care home for people who have severe head injuries.
During this time, his girlfriend left him taking their son with her. Mark struggled to deal with his anger at what had happened. He had severe balance problems and no stamina to deal with everyday life. Mark was now one of the 500,000 people in the UK who are living with a long term disability caused by traumatic brain injury*.
Because the car accident changed his life, Mark just could not see a future for himself.
Through a structured therapeutic gardening programme tailored to meet his needs, Thrive has helped Mark rebuild his physical stamina. He has been able to change his attitudes and beliefs about himself. Mark now has optimism about the future, as well as the skills and support he needs to make adjustments to his new life circumstances.
Mark says: "When I started at Thrive I felt like a baby, and now I feel like an adult again."
