The DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland team are preparing to help a Bray family in bringing their daughter home two years following her life-changing accident while training for the Dublin Marathon.
On October 6, 2024, Hannah Leonard was training for the marathon in Sicily when the terrible tragedy occurred. Shortly into her run, she was allegedly struck by a car and was sent 15 feet into the air, landing on her head.
The young woman suffered devastating brain injuries and underwent life-saving neurosurgery. Surgeons removed a large piece of her skull to relieve pressure from her brain, and she was fitted with a tracheotomy and a catheter to her head.
Several months passed before Hannah could be transported back to Ireland, where she received additional treatment at Beaumont Hospital, before transferring to the National Rehabilitation Hospital last June.
After Hannah’s accident, a GoFundMe appeal was set up to raise vital funds for medical costs, which has successfully raised over €360,000. However, despite this, it won’t completely cover Hannah’s medical expenses and the essential home modifications needed for her homecoming.
This has led Baz Ashmawy and the DIY SOS crew to intervene and assist, and the team have issued their SOS to inhabitants of Bray and neighbouring areas, as the work to renovate the Leonard residence is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, July 14.
Baz Ashmawy of DIY SOS
They stated: “Hannah Leonard is an extraordinary young woman. Against all odds, she survived a horrific accident that changed her life forever.
“For more than a year, she has endured her way through countless medical procedures, setbacks, and long periods of uncertainty. At times, her family were told she would not survive – but Hannah continues to defy expectations, showing remarkable strength and determination every single day.
“Hannah is currently receiving care at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. From the very beginning of her journey, her family made her a promise: that they would do everything possible to bring her home.”, reports Dublin Live.
“To allow Hannah to return home safely, the house must be significantly adapted. The downstairs needs to be reconfigured to provide an accessible bedroom and fully equipped wet room for her care.
“Substantial storage is required for medical equipment and supplies, and a large extension is needed to create a shared living space – including a sitting room, kitchen, and dining area – where Hannah can be at the heart of family life. This is where DIY SOS steps in!
“With your help, this promise can become a reality – allowing Hannah to continue her recovery in the place she belongs, surrounded by her family. Our DIY SOS Bray build will take place from Tuesday 14th of July – Thursday 23rd July.”
Baz Ashmawy and the DIY SOS crew have reached out for people in Bray to lend a hand
In an extensive GoFundMe statement, Hannah’s father Kevin disclosed the DIY SOS application was lodged to prevent Hannah being transferred to a nursing home or returning to Beaumont – considering their residence wasn’t appropriate and Ireland lacks dedicated long-term Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) residential facilities.
He wrote: “I made a Dad promise to Hannah that I would bring her home, the most important kind of promise to fulfil, the guys at DIY SOS are going to make that promise a reality. The community care team, the team at the NRH and the public health nurses all helping to get the stars aligned to get Hannah home.
“She will still need a sizeable care team and package when she get’s home, we will need a lot of support but the public health teams are working away in the background to make it happen. We didn’t have an alternative option for Hannah, there is no long term residential care facility in Ireland to cater for people with acquired brain injuries, it’s either a nursing home or back to an acute hospital.
“The wonderful team at An Saol Foundation are trying to make their dreams of a long term care facility a reality but continue to get bogged down in red tape. They have land sourced, plans drawn, planning approval and yet can still not get a commitment for these much needed facilities to alleviate the pressure on so many families.
“I was recently invited to An Saol to see their facilities and sit in on a meeting with the Minister for Health, I even got a few precious moments of the Minister’s time, she’d heard Hannah’s story. From the moment I stepped through the door of An Saol I felt at home, I was an outsider but straight away I was made to feel part of their community.
Hannah Leonard was badly injured in an accident while training for the Dublin Marathon
“We shared our stories and experiences, I could feel the frustrations of the other families which were similar to ours. I was told that I was lucky because I’m young and still have the energy to be able to bring Hannah home, some of the other parents are in their 70’s and caring full-time for their adult children. The gentleman who set up An Saol has become a friend and is an inspiration to many.
“Some day his dream of a long term care facility will become a reality, removing people with acquired brain injuries from nursing homes and acute hospitals.”
However, Hannah’s homecoming will be “bittersweet”, Kevin wrote, as her younger brother Dylan – featured in the family’s DIY SOS announcement photograph – will not be there to see Hannah’s return. Dylan sadly died last summer aged just 17.
He said: “A new chapter in our story begins, launched with our family photo on DIY SOS’s Instagram page. It is bittersweet because one person that is in that photo won’t be there when Hannah comes home and we know he would have been so happy about it.
“We believe that Dylan continues to be Hannah’s guardian angel, watching over her and helping her with her progress. Now the work for us begins, we need to learn everything about Hannah’s daily care plan and routine.
“She will have a team when she comes home but we are the contingency plan, we will need to know exactly what her nursing team knows. We have been getting involved with certain aspects of her care like hoisting her in and out of bed, administering her medication (under supervision), being part of her therapy sessions, washing routine (I’ll leave that to Vanessa), learning about her cough assist machine and so much more.
“She is still non-verbal but with the application of the speaking valve, who knows where she will get to. Hannah is restricted to a wheelchair when out of the bed but the alterations to the house will allow for that.
“It will be close to two years since the accident when we finally get Hannah home, 18 months ago I would have questioned if it would ever happen.” While visiting the NRH, Kevin showed Hannah the Little Sugarloaf and, upon asking if she wished to return home, she gave a “thumbs up”.
He said: “On one of our wanders around the NRH, for the first time since Hannah arrived there, I venture up to the top floor. I stand beside Hannah’s wheelchair at the large floor to ceiling window.
“In the distance I point out the Little Sugarloaf, a hill close to our home. I ask Hannah if she’d like to go home as I point to the Little Sugarloaf, her right thumb starts to move.
“Some would say it was a reflexive response, others a coincidence, but I believe that it was a thumbs up to the question. Hannah is a proud Bray girl, she climbed that Little Sugarloaf many times, below it are the grounds of Kilruddery Estate, a place we frequented for family walks and picnics.
“We continue to experience the most amazing human kindness, thank you. Having a timeline to bring Hannah home is such a relief.”
Those wishing to lend their support can reach out via diysosBray@indiepics.ie or 0831263130, providing the following details:
NamePhone numberEmailTheir trade or what they can supply
Want to see more of the stories you love from the Irish Mirror? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Irish Mirror as a preferred source, simply click here.