A woman from Sefton who has battled ‘incredible hardships’ yet continued to serve the brain injury community in the North West is to be honoured in a national awards ceremony.

Cathy Johnston, 63, from Sefton, is the current chairwoman of Headway Sefton and an original founder of the group.

Carol Hopwood, who co-founded Headway Sefton with Cathy, nominated her for the Outstanding Contribution to Headway award.

She said:- “When I 1st met Cathy, at a brain injury related talk, we were chatting away as Cathy’s husband, Jan, succumbed to the challenges of fatigue – a common effect of brain injury, and fell fast asleep in his chair.”

Jan suffered life changing injuries following a fall from his bicycle when a bird flew into his bike wheel in August 2012, leading to Jan suffering a catastrophic brain injury and broken spine.

Jan was a keen cyclist and had been riding competitively when the accident happened. Before the accident he was a successful, multi-lingual, international business man.

The mother of 2 boys, Cathy was struggling to adjust to the financial, practical and emotional pressures of trying to keep their business afloat, be a mother to her boys and to take care of her husband.

Carol explained:- “Jan was struggling to come to terms with the significant changes to his life that his injuries had brought. Cathy loved him, and did everything she could to help him heal. Despite all that she was dealing with I was struck by her natural warmth and her absolute determination to do all that she could to help Jan be the best post-accident version of himself that he could be. I came away thinking that she was such an inspiring woman.”

In 2014, a year after meeting Cathy for the 1st time, Carol was given the ‘green light’ to set up a branch of the brain injury charity, Headway, in Sefton.

She said:- “I had become increasingly concerned about the social isolation that brain injury survivors suffered and felt that with the right set of volunteers we could make a real difference. I now needed to find a chairperson for the branch!”

On the same day that she received the approval, fate saw Carol and Cathy cross paths in a supermarket car park. And, from that chance reunion, Headway Sefton was born, with Cathy at the helm.

“I instantly knew that she would be a brilliant Chair. She had the lived experience, empathetic personality and a warmth that made people instantly relax,” Carol said.

Over the last 10 years and under Cathy’s direction as chairwoman, Headway Sefton has grown to support a regular membership of 40 brain injury survivors across the North West.

“We have built a community of support, safety and friendship,” Carol added. “She has leant a listening ear to many in their darkest moments.”

Cathy can often be found cooking meals for brain injury survivors, transporting them to appointments, speaking with social workers and fighting their battles with red tape. She has helped furnish flats, donated innumerable items of clothing and toiletries and generally been the ‘go to person’ when Headway Sefton members are struggling.

At home, she continued to be the glue that held her family together.

Carol said:- “Sadly, Jan was no longer able to work and the life they had before his accident changed beyond recognition. She supported Jan through the darkest times and battled on with a smile on her face and a resilience that is truly remarkable. All the while finding additional reserves to help Headway members who had experienced traumatic brain injuries, and their families.”

In 2019 Cathy found herself back in hospital with Jan who had suffered a freak accident, falling 15 foot out of a tree, causing another bleed on his brain as well as breaking his back, all of his ribs and a collar bone, collapsing both lungs and damaging his teeth and eyes.

Carol explained:- “Cathy and her boys were once again told to prepare themselves for the worst. He had cutting edge spinal surgery where a metal scaffold was inserted to hold his spine together. He then went on to develop a serious infection requiring extensive abdominal surgery. Whilst Jan has survived, he has not recovered, and each injury has stolen more of Jan from Cathy.”

In addition to caring for Jan, Cathy is now also caring for her mother who has advancing dementia and her elderly father.

“She is literally pulled in all directions,” Carol said.

Cathy’s ‘remarkable’ strength and dedication to Headway Sefton has led to her to becoming one of just three finalists for the Outstanding Contribution to Headway Award.

The accolade, sponsored by No5 Barristers’ Chambers will be presented by Headway – the brain injury association at its glittering awards ceremony on:- 5 December 2024 at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in Mayfair.

Carol concluded:- “Cathy has undoubtedly saved the lives of those she has helped in their darkest times, and she does it all with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. We are so very lucky to have her.”