Name: Anna Carroll

Age: 38

Injury:

T6 complete injury following a road traffic accident in 2011, manual wheelchair user.

Interests:

Anna enjoys going to the gym, swimming, art, shopping, travelling, cooking, baking, socialising and going to concerts.​

Why be a peer volunteer?

Anna became a peer mentor to help others to see that life still can be lived. On a personal level she finds it reassuring to talk to others with spinal cord injuries as they understand what each other is going through and talking about.​

Name: Bernard Healy

Age: 58

Injury:

C6 Incomplete injury following a rugby accident in 1980, power chair user

Interests:

Bernard has lived abroad for 5 years and speaks Thai so is very knowledgeable about travel and living in a foreign country.  He is an enthusiastic poker player and is actively involved in his local rugby club.  He has embraced adult education, most recently completing a Masters in History.

Why be a peer volunteer?

Bernard joined the Peer mentoring group because he was interested in informing people that, despite its difficulties and restrictions, there were opportunities for those with spinal injuries. He has also felt it rewarding personally when discussing his injury and adaptations and difficulties coping with a spinal injury.

Name: Clodagh Cogley

Age: 26

Injury:

T10 complete injury following a fall abroad in 2015, manual wheelchair user.  Clodagh completed her rehab abroad and in the NRH when she returned home to continue her studies.

Interests:

Clodagh has a lot of experience dealing with returning to college and work post injury.  She has travelled extensively and lived abroad.  Clodagh is currently working in the area of health psychology which makes her ideally suited to be a peer volunteer.  She loves swimming, socialising and cooking.

Why be a peer volunteer?

“I decided to become a peer mentor because I know first-hand how much of a difference it can make in the early stages following SCI. Being able to pass on some of the information I’ve learned over the years is really rewarding, and I’m glad for the opportunity to give back to the SCI community who were so kind to me when I first had my injury”

Name: Conor McGinn

Age: 65

Injury:

10 Complete injury in 1981 following a motorcycle racing accident in the Isle of Man TT races and is a manual wheelchair user.

Interests:

Conor is now retired and has huge experience dealing with the pros and cons of the office environment as a  wheelchair user, ​colleagues’ expectations and the considerations that may need to be made.  He has travelled extensively, both by air and hire car to the USA & Europe, and by driving throughout Ireland, UK & France to self-accommodating holiday homes.

Why be a peer volunteer?

He enjoys peer mentoring, encouraging others hopes and ideas to be confident to try new things. “Realising how easy it is to achieve things again after spinal injury, will change your outlook in life, again.”

Name: Declan Jordan

Age: 57

Injury:

T3 -T4 Complete injury in 2001 following a motorbike accident in America, manual wheelchair user.

Interests:

Declan has a lot of outdoor interests; he is a member of the Celtic motorbike club in New York and has a trike which enables him to get out on the road again.  He felt he really benefitted from rehab activities such as canoeing, sailing, sky diving and skiing while in the States.  He divides his time between Ireland and New York and is involved with peer mentoring Stateside also.

Why be a peer volunteer?

Name: Emma Golding

Age: 37

Injury:

 T5 Complete injury from a horse-riding accident, manual wheelchair user

Interests:

Emma works in UCD and is doing a PHD in veterinary medicine, she is a big sc-fi fan (especially Star Trek), likes travelling, has two cats and two ponies; Emma competes at horse driving trials.  She is available to chat with anyone who needs advice especially in the areas of education and work.

Why be a peer volunteer?

Name: Gemma Willis

Age: 25

Injury:

L4 complete injury in 2015 following a car accident, manual wheelchair user. 

Interests:

Gemma’s many interests include swimming, the gym, reading, cooking and baking (Gemma was a chef before her injury), being in the outdoors and going to concerts and rugby matches.

Why be a peer volunteer?

 “Dealing with a spinal cord injury isn’t easy; it puts your mind and body through a test. Trying to figure things out for yourself isn’t impossible, but why do it alone? That’s exactly what I did in the beginning. Once I began to talk to my peers, I realized that I could live a productive life with a spinal cord injury. I decided that I wanted to make a difference for the next person. I wanted to be there for those who needed to talk about the difficulties of living with a spinal cord injury. I also wanted to assist by providing resources. I love helping people overcome the obstacles they’ve encountered while dealing with an injury.”

Name: John O’Farrell

Age: 60, married with 2 sons

Injury:

C3-T6 Incomplete injury following a road traffic accident in 2005, manual and powerchair user. 

Interests:

John is interested in most sports; he finds exercise very helpful in managing his pain.  He is also interested in gardening and cooking. 

Why be a peer volunteer?

John has worked in the area of mental health as a psychiatric nurse for over 25 years.  In the early days of his injury John says he made many mistakes so he wants to share his knowledge and hopefully support people to look for solutions. 

Name: Julie Barnett

Age: 44, married with 1 son and 2 daughters

Injury:

Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) caused by a ruptured disc in 2013.  Incomplete L4-S1 injury 

Interests:

Julie is a chef by trade and makes novelty birthday cakes.  She is also involved in an art group in her local area. 

Why be a peer volunteer?

Julie wants to support others to come to terms with being diagnosed with CES and to show people there is light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s a long road but it’s not the end of the world” 

Name: Karen Farrar

Age: 58

Injury:

T5 complete injury in 2004 following a fall while on holidays.  Power and manual chair user

Interests:

Worked as a nurse, took early retirement in 2015.  Karen now runs a business from her own home.  Happy to chat about all aspects of being a paraplegic.

Why be a peer volunteer?

“I decided to become a peer volunteer as I’d received so much as an in-patient I thought it’d be nice to help in some small way…. I really love it and I’ve learnt new information too. It really is a great pooling of information for everyone involved! I love it!”

Name: Noreen Ledwidge

Age: 70

Injury:

Transverse Myelitis 2006 T9-T11 incomplete, walks with the use of an aid while out and about

Interests:

Worked as a Nurse/ midwife.  Loves travel, meditation, theatre, concerts, aqua aerobics, cinema, reading.​

Why be a peer volunteer?

When I came home from NRH in 2006 there wasn’t anyone else with Transverse Myelitis to talk to and I felt very alone. It takes time to adjust to normal life again and I would have loved to talk to someone with same condition. I would like to be there for anyone in similar circumstances.  Comfortable talking about any issues with someone with Transverse Myelitis.

Name: Ollie Hickey

Age: 53

Injury:

T4 Complete injury from a construction site accident in 2002.  Manual wheelchair user

Interests:

Ollie enjoys sport, especially GAA and soccer.  He enjoys current affairs, music and going to concerts and shows.  He has been very involved in looking at transport issues through his work on the IWA transport committee, including air travel, public transport and wheelchair parking.

Why be a peer volunteer?

Ollie has been delighted to be involved in peer support because he feels he has a lot of experience in the life changing effects of acquiring a spinal injury.  He is very interested in making people’s lives a little easier and giving someone the sense that everything is achievable. 

Name: Paul Fitzhenry

Age: 55, 2 sons

Injury:

Guillain Barré diagnosed in 2016 

Interests:

Paul loves learning new things and meeting new people.  He enjoys sketching, especially buildings in his local area. 

Why be a peer volunteer?

Paul wants to help support people who find themselves in a similar situation that he was in at the beginning of his diagnosis. 

Name: Sandra Loftus

Age: 57, 1 son and 1 daughter

Injury:

Guillain Barré diagnosed in 2003, caused from complications from food poisoning. 

Interests:

 Sandra is very creative land loves interior design, gardening, cooking, fashion and entertaining.

Why be a peer volunteer?

Having spent over a year in hospital initially Sandra can relate to the anxiety and loneliness experienced by others in a similar situation.  She would like to help anyone who finds themselves in this position and share her experiences while listening to their fears and questions.