A rugby player from Cardiff has been nominated for a national award after raising £60,000 for Headway Cardiff and South East Wales brain injury charity.
Just a month after the birth of their second child, Chris Case’s wife Alex suffered a subarachnoid brain haemorrhage, also known as a bleed on the brain.
“All I could think about was how I might lose Alex and have to bring up a two-year old child and four-week-old baby alone,” said Chris. “My wife and my children are my whole world, so I was completely terrified.”
Alex was told that she required clipping or coiling surgery within 24 hours otherwise she was at risk of serious damage to her brain, or even worse, death.
“The hospital we were at didn’t have any radiologists so they couldn’t do the surgery,” recalled Chris. “We were told we’d need to be transferred to another hospital, but they wouldn’t accept Alex until she’d had further scans and the scanning machine was broken where we were.
“We sat for hours, waiting and pulling our hair out. Every hour that passed was more frightening. I remember looking around me at patients who had serious brain injuries, thinking this would be Alex’s fate too.”
Eventually Alex was taken by air ambulance to a different hospital where she had the life-saving surgery.
“After the surgery Alex started struggling with her short-term memory,” said Chris. “Every 30 minutes she would forget where she was and what had happened, so I had to keep reminding her. It was scary but I was just glad she was alive, it felt like a miracle.”
Thankfully Alex made a remarkable recovery, which inspired Chris to do everything he could to improve the lives of brain injury survivors who are not so lucky.
Chris was nominated by Headway Cardiff and South East Wales’ CEO, Rebecca Pearce, as a way of recognising his steadfast efforts in supporting the local brain injury community. She said: “Chris doesn’t do what he does for accolades but is driven by altruism and the satisfaction of knowing he’s made a difference and helped to improve the lives of people with acquired brain injury.
“Not only has he raised an outstanding amount of money for Headway, but he formed the Headway Cardiff Select XV charity rugby team to raise awareness for concussion in sport, as well as organising numerous events to support the charity.
“We find it difficult to thank Chris appropriately for all he has done, but I think this award would mean a lot to him and his family and go some way to repaying our thanks.”
He will join two other finalists in the running for the Stephen McAleese Outstanding Contribution to Headway Award. The accolade, sponsored by No5 Barristers Chambers, will be presented at a glittering ceremony organised by Headway – the brain injury association on 9 December at The Landmark London.
Chris said: “I was in shock when I found out I was nominated for a national award. It’s such a pleasure to support Headway and if anything it’s the staff and members at the charity who deserve an award for all their hard work.
“I’ve been aware of this award for quite some time and I’m familiar with the achievements of former nominees and winners, so to be named amongst them is very humbling.”
At the ceremony awards for Carer, Volunteer and Achiever of the Year will also be presented.
