By Louise Walsh
Two Irish Rugby players answered ‘Aisling’s Call’ today when they sang the rugby anthem to a young Meath woman who is recovering from an acquired brain injury.
Devin Toner and Rhys Ruddock were ‘inspired’ by Aisling Brady’s story after reading how the song Ireland’s Call led to her first breakthrough in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dublin recently.
She made the headlines last month when the rugby fan mouthed the lyrics to try and sing alongside her mum Antoinette.
Aisling, from Trim, Co. Meath was flown back to Ireland last January after she suffered multiple seizures and cardiac arrests after collapsing at the school in which she was teaching in Dubai earlier that month.
Her condition was caused by a pulmonary embolism which had formed in her leg over a period of time, rushing up to her heart and eventually ending up caught in her lungs.
A Gofundme page, set up to bring her home and help costs of care and has reached over €144,000 to date.
Determined Aisling is working hard at intensive physiotheraphy but at present she cannot speak and can only slightly move her arms and legs.
Although staff are hoping for long-term improvements, she is also coming to terms with the news that she will need full-time care for the rest of her life.
Last month, Aisling who is a huge rugby fan delighted staff, family and friends when she tried to sing Ireland’s Call alongside her mum.
“All of a sudden, I heard her making gutteral sounds and making shapes with her lips to mouth ‘Ireland’.
“She was so excited to hear her voice so we just kept singing and singing and when we finally stopped, she was beaming,” her mum Antoinette said at the time.
However, Aisling was again left beaming this afternoon when Devin and Rhys walked in to the centre with rugby memorabilia.
“She was and still is delighted and the lads were great to come and visit,” said her mum Antoinette.
“Aisling was sitting with a Dubai Hurricanes Rugby Flag – the team she captained in Dubai and was holding a Leinster Rugby T-shirt.
“She had been practicing shaking hands all morning and had a big smile when they walked in and chatted with her.
“They told her to look for the small positives and not perfection and said that they found her story hugely inspirational in how she was overcoming her challenges.
“They then sang Ireland’s Call to her, with the staff and patients before handing her a shirt, signed by all the Irish Rugby team and a certificate of authenticity
“The positivity of the visit continued, leading her to make great progress in her therapies,” she concluded.
You can visit Aisling’s GoFundme page which will now go to her care here.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
