Before her accident, Rita was a dedicated Police Community Support Officer. After completing a degree in International Tourism, she chose a career in policing, where she spent many years supporting her local community.
Everything changed in October 2021 when, while on duty, Rita was knocked from her police bicycle by a driver who had taken drugs. She sustained a severe traumatic brain injury and was admitted to intensive care before beginning many months of specialist rehabilitation.
Rita remained in hospital until March 2022 before moving to a specialist rehabilitation unit, where her rehabilitation continued. One of the most significant milestones in her recovery came in November 2022, when she returned home and began living independently again.
Returning home marked the beginning of the next stage of Rita’s rehabilitation.
Supported by a multidisciplinary team that included an Occupational Therapist, Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist and Music Therapist, Rita continued to build the skills needed for everyday life.
In September 2023, Catherine Watkins and Sarah Longshaw from AKA Case Management joined Rita’s rehabilitation team. Working alongside Rita and the wider team, they have helped her focus on the goals that matter most to her and supported her continued progress towards greater independence.
Today, Rita lives independently and enjoys a busy and fulfilling lifestyle. She is a keen baker, goes to the gym, sings, loves travelling, and, most importantly, her faith. Like many people living with a brain injury, she can still experience challenges with planning, prioritising tasks and managing her time. Rather than doing things for Rita, AKA’s role is to help her develop strategies that enable her to remain in control of her own life.
Catherine and Sarah now mainly support Rita with organising appointments, managing her diary, and prioritising daily tasks, providing the structure and encouragement that allow her to continue living as independently as possible while pursuing the activities she enjoys.
Creativity has always been an important part of Rita’s life.
Long before her accident, she loved writing poetry and creative pieces. She shared with us a poem she wrote many years ago, which she still treasures today. During her rehabilitation, returning to creative writing became an important way to rebuild confidence and reconnect with something that had always brought her joy.
Over the past few years, Rita has attended creative writing classes, where she has continued to develop her skills while enjoying the friendships and sense of community that come with learning alongside others.
Painting has also become an important part of her rehabilitation.
Through creative painting classes, Rita has developed her artistic skills and discovered a new way to express herself. One of her proudest achievements was creating a beautiful painting for her niece’s wedding. Inspired by the wedding invitation, the artwork took many weeks of careful planning and dedication to complete.
Managing the project alongside the challenges of a brain injury wasn’t always easy. Time management remained difficult, but with support from her rehabilitation team, Rita successfully completed the painting in time for the celebrations. Her niece was delighted with the finished piece, describing Rita as a natural artist and encouraging her to continue painting.
Rita greatly enjoyed her music therapy sessions for over 18 months as part of her rehabilitation. In music therapy, Rita was able to explore and express her emotions, reconnect with and develop her creative music-making side, and improve her voice and singing which had been impacted by her injury. Rita said an emotional goodbye to her music therapist a few months ago and gave him a copy of a poem which they had used in her therapy sessions. (see picture)
These creative achievements represent far more than hobbies. They show Rita’s determination, resilience, and the rebuilding of skills affected by her injury.
Away from her creative pursuits, Rita enjoys a full and active life. She regularly visits her local temple, goes to the gym, enjoys cooking and gardening, and continues to find new ways to stay active within her community.
Travel has always been another passion. Having completed a degree in International Tourism before joining the police, it is perhaps no surprise that exploring new places remains important to her. Over the past few years, she has gradually regained the confidence to travel around the UK.
She is now preparing for another exciting milestone.
Soon, Rita will embark on her first overseas trip since her accident, spending time in India reconnecting with family, culture and her heritage. It is a journey that once may have seemed out of reach, but now represents another step forward in a recovery defined by resilience, determination and optimism.
Looking back at how far Rita has come since October 2021, her progress has been extraordinary, and some areas remain difficult for her post-injury. AKA Case Management and her MDT are there to support her as her rehabilitation journey continues. Each year has brought greater independence, renewed confidence and new opportunities.
Anyone who meets Rita is struck by her warmth, generosity and positive outlook on life. She approaches every challenge with optimism and an infectious enthusiasm that inspires those around her.
