The lifelong Ipswich Town football supporter had just watched his beloved team beat Coventry City 2-1, securing their return to the Premier League after 22 years.
But John remembers little of this momentous occasion. In all the excitement, he suffered a cardiac arrest and lost consciousness.
Fortunately, he was not alone in the house. John’s wife Heather acted swiftly by calling an ambulance and administering CPR, understanding immediately that it was a life or death situation.
Since that day in April 2024, John has been on a long road to recovery, spending six weeks in hospital before being referred to Shaftesbury Icanho.
Though he has remained physically able, John required treatment for Aphasia, a communications disorder resulting from damage to the part of the brain dealing with language and affecting the ability to speak or write.
Located in Stowmarket, Shaftesbury Icanho is a non-residential service providing highly specialised rehabilitation to adults affected by an acquired brain injury. It has been a centre of expertise since opening in 1997.
John and Heather feel very fortunate to live near the service. Over a period of nine months, they benefited from a comprehensive programme of occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychological support.
What struck them most was the staff’s willingness to offer a fully personalised programme, tailored to John’s specific interests and professional background.
John retired from teaching three years ago and prior to his brain injury, he’d been lecturing part-time at the Ipswich Institute, sharing his enthusiasm for literature and film with adult learners.
Believing this was key to John’s recovery, staff set him the goal of delivering a presentation at the Institute. He successfully researched and presented on Alfred Hitchcock’s first film in sound; an important milestone in his recovery. “It really helped me feel myself again. It was like getting back to work,” says John.
The couple have three adult daughters who also attended some of the therapy sessions to have their questions answered. “They treated the whole family, not just John as the patient. It’s a very holistic approach,” Heather explains. “Without Icanho, we’d be floundering and feeling overwhelmed,” she states.
It was the psychological support Heather valued most as it helped address her fears about how long it was taking John to recover and how he was, at times. unable to deal with emotions. Thrust unexpectedly into the role of carer, she had also been struggling with a sense of guilt:
“John’s family has a history of heart issues. He had missed a blood pressure test and I felt I’d taken my eye off the ball. I blamed myself for what happened, a mixture of guilt and regret,” she reveals.
Although she acted quickly in the moment, Heather has been plagued by what ifs.
“I wouldn’t normally watch the football with him. What if I had gone to bed? I never know where my mobile is so thank goodness we still have a landline. What if we didn’t? I worry about that. There were so many near misses.”
The family took advantage of one-to-one counselling, couples’ therapy and group sessions with other client families, facilitated by specialists including a neuropsychologist and social worker. Once a week, the multi-disciplinary team at Shaftesbury Icanho meet to discuss each client so John could be confident that everyone was up to speed with his progress.
Staff have invited him to help run a reading group for clients, so he now volunteers at the service weekly. He also talks enthusiastically about another presentation he is due to make in December. “I’m not so good with computers as I was previously, so this gives me purpose and motivation. I’m taking classes at the Institute where I used to work,” he says.
The couple express immense gratitude for the expertise and support available to them: “I wasn’t sure if he would ever read and write again. But he has come back. He’s more like John again,” according to Heather. “This is such a necessary service. If only it was three times the size to meet the level of demand,” she says.
For the Shaftesbury Icanho team, the ultimate goal is for clients to regain their independence in the community. John is happy to report that he’s back attending home games at Ipswich Town as he’s done since he was a boy. Meanwhile, he’s busy preparing for his next presentation.
John and his wife, Heather at Shaftesbury Icanho
For more on acquired disabilities, visit our Opening Doors Christmas campaign pages at https://www.shaftesburygroup.org/opening-doors