October is Free Wills Month — an opportunity to make or update your Will while considering the future and the people and causes that matter to you.
When someone we love experiences a life-threatening neurological event, the impact can reach far beyond the initial diagnosis or treatment. For families, there can be fear, uncertainty and anxiety about what the future might hold.
For Dorothy, watching her son Andrew go through not one, but two serious neurological events was an experience that stayed with her.
A mother’s experience
Thirty-one years ago, Andrew underwent successful corrective surgery for a subarachnoid aneurysm at the National Hospital. Many years later, he was rushed to hospital with a subdural haematoma — a serious internal bleed on the brain that can affect neurological function.
Thankfully, Andrew made a full physical recovery without complications or lasting effects. But recovery wasn’t simply about the physical impact.
As Andrew recalls:
“I do remember feeling very anxious post-first op… worrying that it may re-occur over the next couple of years.”
Dorothy was there throughout — from the relief of successful surgery to the anxiety that followed. Her experience of supporting her son inspired her to think about other people and families facing serious neurological events, injuries and diagnoses.
A gift for the future
Dorothy chose to leave a gift in her Will to the Brain & Spine Foundation.
Her legacy will help us continue providing information, support and guidance to people affected by neurological conditions and injuries, and to their families.
Andrew told us:
“It is in support of those with similar anxieties and post-op complications that we hope this donation goes some way to helping. My mother would be very pleased to see the help delivered.”
Gifts in Wills can help us be there for people in the future — whether they need information, reassurance, practical support or someone to talk to.
Our free, confidential Neuro Helpline is staffed by neuroscience nurses who provide practical and emotional support to people living with neurological conditions and those caring for them. We also provide health information and peer support opportunities.
Could you leave a legacy?
Leaving a gift in your Will, whatever the amount, is one way to help ensure that people affected by neurological conditions and their families can access support in the future.
Of course, your loved ones come first. Once you have made provision for the people and causes closest to you, you may wish to consider leaving a gift to the Brain & Spine Foundation.
There are different ways to leave a gift in your Will, including a percentage of your estate or a specific amount. The Brain & Spine Foundation recommends using a solicitor when making or changing your Will.
Free Will writing this October
As part of Free Wills Month, supporters of the Brain & Spine Foundation can find out more about arranging a free Will through our partner, Accord Legal Services.
Read Dorothy and Andrew’s full story here.
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