{"id":402713,"date":"2026-04-17T03:03:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/402713\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T03:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:03:12","slug":"diy-sos-ireland-to-help-bray-family-bring-hannah-leonard-home-after-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/402713\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY SOS Ireland to help Bray family bring Hannah Leonard home after accident"},"content":{"rendered":"

The DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland team are set to help a Bray<\/a> family bring their daughter home two years after he life-changing accident while training for the Dublin Marathon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hannah Leonard, 24, was hit by a vehicle while out running in Sicily on October 6, 2024. Months would pass before Hannah could be transported back to Ireland, where she underwent further recovery at Beaumont Hospital<\/a>, before moving to the National Rehabilitation Hospital last June.<\/p>\n

Following Hannah’s accident, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to gather essential funds for medical expenses, which has successfully raised over \u20ac360,000.<\/a> But despite this, it won’t fully cover Hannah’s medical bills and the necessary home adaptations required for her return.<\/p>\n

That has prompted Baz Ashmawy<\/a> and the DIY SOS crew to step in and help, and the team have issued their SOS to residents of Bray and surrounding areas, as the work to transform the Leonard household is set to begin on Tuesday, July 14. They explained: “Hannah Leonard is an extraordinary young woman. Against all odds, she survived a horrific accident that changed her life forever.<\/p>\n

“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 \u2013 but Hannah continues to defy expectations, showing remarkable strength and determination every single day.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“Substantial storage is required for medical equipment and supplies, and a large extension is needed to create a shared living space \u2013 including a sitting room, kitchen, and dining area \u2013 where Hannah can be at the heart of family life. This is where DIY SOS steps in!<\/p>\n

“With your help, this promise can become a reality \u2013 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 \u2013 Thursday 23rd July.”<\/p>\n

In a detailed GoFundMe update<\/a>, Hannah’s father Kevin revealed the DIY SOS application was submitted to stop Hannah being placed in a nursing home or returning to Beaumont – given their house wasn’t suitable and Ireland has no 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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.” But Hannah’s homecoming will be “bittersweet”, Kevin wrote, as her younger brother Dylan – pictured in the family’s DIY SOS announcement photo – will not be present to witness Hannah’s return.<\/p>\n

Dylan tragically passed away last summer at just 17-years-old. 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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.” During a visit to the NRH, Kevin pointed out the Little Sugarloaf to Hannah and, when he asked if she wanted to go home, she responded with a “thumbs up”.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“We continue to experience the most amazing human kindness, thank you. Having a timeline to bring Hannah home is such a relief.”<\/p>\n

Anyone who wants to get involved can contact diysosBray@indiepics.ie or 0831263130, including their:<\/p>\n

NamePhone numberEmailTheir trade or what they can supply<\/p>\n

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