Despite suffering a life-changing brain injury at 31 following the birth of her second child, a Co Armagh woman is working to raise vital funds for a local charity which supported her.

Aisling Helm, from Lurgan, was a young mum of two baby girls when she began having strange symptoms that led her to reach out for help.

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‘It's not a question of if, but when, a child will be seriously injured or kille...

Aisling Helm, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, with Ann Coyle and Peter McKee from Head Injury Support at the outreach class based in Brownlow Hub, Craigavon. Aisling is organising a Charity Quiz and Raffle evening at the Eire Og GAA Club on May 18 at 7pm. Photo courtesy of Head Injury Support, Newry.

placeholder image — Aisling Helm, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, with Ann Coyle and Peter McKee from Head Injury Support at the outreach class based in Brownlow Hub, Craigavon. Aisling is organising a Charity Quiz and Raffle evening at the Eire Og GAA Club on May 18 at 7pm. Photo courtesy of Head Injury Support, Newry.

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She had given birth a few months previously and started to have double vision among other things but it was put down to Post Natal Depression.

A former pupil of St Mary’s Junior High School in Lurgan, Aisling is now 37 and mum to Cara (8) and Lana (6).

She’s an eloquent, intelligent woman who, after school, studied a few courses including Airport and Airline Operations and later a Foundation Degree in Event Management in Belfast Met.

It was 2014 and she could have gone on to do the degree at Coleraine but she was getting married and working ‘so it was just a bit too much’.

Around six months after her second daughter came into the world Aisling become ill. Doctors were unable to diagnose what happened and later believed it may have been a stroke event following childbirth.

"They said it could have been something that has lain dormant for years and me giving birth may have brought it on,” said Aisling, who was just 31-years-old when it happened.

"Lana was just six months old. She was born in May and in October I was in the Royal Victoria Hospital,” she said.

She revealed it started with double vision and some hallucinations explaining that it may have been an inflammation in her brain.

“It was all very gradual and everything was put down to Post Natal Depression,” said Aisling adding the medication she received didn’t help.

"At that stage I was still fully able though I did have balance issues and double vision but the speech was OK. I just put it down to the medication but then it all became apparent,” she said.

Previously her doctor had referred her to neurology and a CT scan. “I was told if it gets worse, just go to casualty,” she said.

“That was on the Friday, I rang casualty on the Saturday. They couldn’t find anything. Then on Monday I went to eye casualty at the RVH. They did a few tests and then sent for people from neurology,” said Aisling who described the staff at the RVH as 'fantastic’.

After she spent 6 weeks in the Regional Acquired Brain Injury Unit in Musgrave Hospital undergoing rehabilitation.

Now living with her mum and stepdad, Aisling said: “Being back in the community with Head Injury Support is brilliant.”

“While the brain is fully intact, it is the physical side of things. I think if I had the right technology I could work well,” said Aisling who attends the Head Injury Support group at Brownlow Hub and at Newry.

Sadly this charity lost lottery funding and is in dire need of support. "That’s why I want to run this quiz,” said Aisling who is full of praise for the charity.

The quiz and supper, in aid of Head Injury Support, is on Saturday May 18 at 7pm at Eire Og GAA club. A raffle includes a signed Armagh GAA top and more.