Award-winning Sophie's sights are set on progress
14 Jul 2010
18 year old Sophie Finucane, a client of the Rehabilitative Training service in Cork, has received a North Cork Garda Youth Award for showing extraordinary courage and determination in the face of adversity.
Originally from England, Sophie sustained a gunshot wound to the head while at home in Manchester in 2008. This resulted in Sophie suffering an Acquired Brain Injury from which she was not expected to recover. Sophie pulled through following several weeks in a coma, having been left in a wheelchair, unable to speak, read or write very well and needing constant care.
Sophie's Dad John decided to take his daughter back to his home in Co. Cork as soon as she was well enough to leave hospital so that he could provide for and monitor her substantial rehabilitative needs. Sophie's courage, determination and unfailing positive attitude shone during this time and within a year of coming to Ireland, Sophie was walking independently, regularly attending the Headway training centre in Ballincollig as well as her physical and occupational therapies and had regained the sunny, chatty personality that was once feared lost for good.
Just over two years after her initial life-threatening brain injury, Sophie can now travel on her own to Headway and wherever else she likes, has just finished a highly successful work placement in a local crèche, is preparing to head to college in September to begin a course in childcare so that she can fulfill a lifelong ambition, and is a truly independent, bubbly, confident, outgoing and inspirational young woman. Considering everything that she has been through Sophie is a young person with a magnificent attitude who is determined to live with her brain injury and not by it. So from everyone at Headway Cork, we would like to say congratulations to Sophie on receiving her award.
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