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09 December 2024

Doing the appeal gave me the strength to share my story

by Lucie Maguire

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A year on, Lucie Maguire shares her experience of being the face of Day One’s 2023 Christmas Appeal.


I’m Lucie and I was the focus of Day One’s 2023 Christmas Appeal. Since then, I’ve continued to make progress with my recovery. Although it’s not all been easy.

In June, I ended up back in the major trauma centre where I spent 18 months recovering after I was run over by a tractor in 2021. This time it was ‘only’ for eight weeks as I faced more major surgery. I had my bladder removed, a full hysterectomy and plastic reconstructive surgery.

Being back on the trauma ward, I got to see Day One in action. I met some of the peer support volunteers, which was something that I missed out on when I was in hospital due to Covid restrictions.

Although my surgery went well, I forgot how tough recovery can be. Two years on and it felt like I was back in the same hospital bed. It left me questioning how I ever managed 18 months in hospital. It set me back mentally.

It just goes to show how recovery is a long process. Even when you are at your highest points, it can be a very quick decline into that negative space. Thankfully, talking to Day One’s volunteers helped. I knew deep down that I had done loads of stuff and progressed lots. They kept reminding me how far I had come. At times you need someone else to do that for you.

I felt fortunate to go to Day One’s reception at the House of Lords in September. Hearing Paul Price speak was the first time that I had heard about someone spending anywhere near as much time in hospital as I had. He was saying exactly the same things as I had felt. It was a big relief because even though I had a family who loved and supported me, I struggled with the reality of how I felt. You have so many people telling you it’s a ‘normal’ response, but until you hear from others who have been through it, you realise there are so many of us who have the same feelings. It opens up a conversation and that is so important. There is a guilt you carry and it is hard to get rid of. I didn’t realise how universal those feelings were until I heard Paul speak and read all the Dear me stories (which were published for Major Trauma Awareness Week). I cried with relief. Knowing other people feel it too is so validating.

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Doing the Christmas appeal last year was so important to me. It gave me the strength to share my story. I had so many people saying they had never heard of Day One before I did the video. And that is the point. To help show people that this amazing charity exists and help them support more people.

The past year has made my family even more passionate about supporting Day One and doing everything we can to spread our message across the country. It is so important. It doesn’t matter how far down the line you get, you will always need that support.

To know there is still a demand for Day One makes it so more important that this year’s appeal is a success. The need doesn’t stop.

I don’t know what the future holds, but that’s OK.

Next year I will go on my first holiday since the accident and I have a concert planned. I’m getting back to doing things I love and that’s exciting.

Reading Georgia’s story and watching her video is so inspiring. I’m so pleased she’s decided to share her story, like I did, and I hope that she will be able to look back on this period with as much strength, hope and fondness as I do now.

You can support this year's appeal here >>

Lucie maguire award christmas event

Find out more about Lucie's story

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