When I was just 8 days away from turning 17, I came off my bike and suffered a spinal cord injury. I suddenly had a disability, my entire body was paralysed from the neck down. Seven months in hospital which was its own ordeal, and then I had to go to rehab. It put a huge physical drain on me. I couldn’t do sports any more, I really struggled to get through the day when I went back to school. I couldn’t do anything. 

This guy Glen I had met at the National Rehabilitation Hospital reached out to me, he had gone through something similar and was in a wheelchair. He said to me, Brian we need someone who has been through the hospital to volunteer to come in and talk to the young patients, who mightn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was in a very ‘glass half empty’ mood at the time, but I thought, I’ll give it a go. So I came in, I had an hour long chat session with the young patients, we had a cup of tea and a bit of craic. Sharing stories, talking about the staff and the way we’d play pranks on the nurses. I came away feeling: that was amazing, and I need to do this more. 

I signed up for weekly sessions. It gave me something to do and something to look forward to. I ended up becoming Glen’s little helper. It helped me physically, bringing the patients out on daytrips, going to the cinema, going shopping. It helped them, and it really helped me. It gave me a second wind, to restart things, to see what I can do even with my injury. I have a job with Spinal Injuries Ireland now, and it gave me the confidence to go back to my Scout volunteering. I can really say that volunteering brought me back. I can’t recommend it enough.

Youth groups in towns and villages around Ireland need local volunteers who can help rebuild our safe and secure spaces for young people. People like Brian, people like you.