Fundraiser launched for brain bleed mum

A bleed on the brain left Aymie Wellman paralysed and unable to speak, walk or eat unaided

The family of a former social worker who suffered a brain haemorrhage have raised over £2,500 to help her rehabilitation.

Aymie Wellman, from Scarborough, spent over 18 months in hospitals and a rehabilitation centre after a brain bleed left her paralysed and unable to speak, walk or eat unaided.

Her family are now trying to raise £10,000 to pay for occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy.

Her partner's mother Sue Holden, who organised the fundraiser, said they just wanted to get her the therapy she needs to help improve her life.

Ms Wellman, 45, had just returned to working as a child protection officer in York after having her daughter Pearl when she collapsed while working at her father's home in 2022.

"She rang her partner Paul to come and pick her up and by the time he arrived, she was on the phone to the ambulance saying, 'I'm dying'," said Ms Holden.

Ms Wellman and her husband Paul were childhood sweethearts, reunited years later

Doctors diagnosed Ms Wellman with a brain stem haemorrhage and she was in hospital for six weeks before being transferred to a rehabilitation centre in York where she stayed for 18 months.

“She was able to speak but not eat or move and had to be supported with feeding and breathing tubes initially," Ms Holden said.

She has since returned home but still struggles with speech and cannot care for herself or her five year old daughter.

“Pearl is starting to have conversations with mummy again but she doesn’t recognise mummy anymore as she is not the mummy she knew," said Ms Holden.

'Considerable improvement'

While Ms Wellman has received care from the NHS, including physiotherapy, due to the availability of that support, the family have had to look into private care to get her additional support.

“We really appreciate the help from the NHS and everyone else but time is of the essence for Aymie.

"She is young still and we want her to get up and have some sort of life, she is very depressed," Ms Holden said.

For that reason, Ms Holden launched a fundraiser aiming to raise £10,000 to pay for occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy.

So far £2,500 has been raised which is going towards private physiotherapy.

The family have also made changes, Ms Wellman's mother and stepfather have sold their home and moved closer.

"Her dad who is wheelchair bound himself comes in everyday to see Aymie, Paul could not work for months to look after Pearl and I have to come from France, four to five weeks at a time, to help Paul with childcare,” she said.

Ms Holden said the local community have been supportive and have also helped raise funds.

“With all this support system in place since she moved home, Aymie has shown considerable signs of improvement as she can now hold herself up and has been eating liquified foods” she said.

We have approached NHS England and the Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust for a comment.

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