Inverness woman who suffered a brain injury and was left paralysed as a result of a road accident to star in campaign
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A woman who sustained a brain injury and was left paralysed from the waist down after she was involved in a road traffic accident has spoken about her determination to get her life back on track.
In November 2015, just before her 30th birthday, Samantha Maguire was thrown from the passenger seat of a van which was being driven by her fiancé after he lost control of the vehicle on the A835.
They were travelling towards Inverness at the time and the van rolled twice during the accident.
Ms Maguire suffered a bleed on the brain, as well as a spinal injury, and was told by doctors that she would never walk again.
However, she instructed specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help her access vital treatment to help with her rehabilitation so that she could get back to enjoying life.
The former hotel administrator now lives in an adapted bungalow in the city, thanks to payments secured by her legal team, and also has an adapted car which allows her to travel as a passenger, as well as access to a specialist 24-hour support team.
She said: “The past few years have been incredibly difficult, but having my own house and access to a car helps me maintain some of the independence I had before the accident. It also allows me to visit my family which is so important.
“Coming to terms with my injuries hasn’t been easy, but my mum has been my main rock throughout it all. Family means everything to me, and one of my happiest places is going to the park with my sister and nieces. It is lovely to see their faces and see how much they enjoy being around me.”
Before sustaining her life-changing injuries, Samantha enjoyed an active lifestyle – which included going to the gym, swimming and climbing – and over the past few years, she has tried to maintain this by going out with her family and taking her nieces to play centres.
Ms Maguire is not only determined to make the most of her life, but is keen to help others affected by brain injury through working and campaigning with charity Headway. She also volunteers with Enable Scotland, mentoring others living with disabilities.
Now, she is one of six people starring in Irwin Mitchell’s I Am Able campaign, which tells the stories of how people who have suffered injury and illness have been able to get their lives back on track with specialist help and support.
Now aged 34, and no longer in a relationship with her former fiancé, she said: “The driving force behind everything was wanting my life back.
“I really enjoy my charity work and volunteering from home makes me feel valued and like I have a purpose.
“When you go through what I have, it would be so easy to just let it defeat you, but the advice I would give to anyone who has had an accident is don’t give up. You can have back the life you had.”
David Bell, the specialist serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who represents her, said: “Samantha is such an inspirational young woman and has shown a lot of courage in getting her life back following such a serious accident.
“Through our work, we know how tough it can be for people who were once active to come to terms with severe spinal injuries, and Samantha’s determination has been incredible.
“We are proud to have helped Samantha along her road to recovery, and to know that she is helping others in similar situations is heart-warming.”
