WHEN Paul Calderdank had part of his brain removed in 2007 his future looked bleak, however, he will soon begin working in the new Headway charity store in Sale town centre, something he would never have believed possible before the brain injury association began helping him three years ago.


Paul, 39, was hit by a taxi when he was six-years-old and began having epileptic seizures when he was 13.


When he had major brain surgery in 2007 his seizures stopped for two years, but began again in a milder form in 2009, the year he became involved with Headway.


His wife Caroline, who lives with him at Elmwood, Sale, said Paul attending Headway group meetings has been a ‘God-send’.


“He’s different from the man I married 17 years ago, which is probably not surprising as he’s had part of him removed,” Caroline joked.


“But Headway has been brilliant, it gets him out of the house, it’s improved his confidence, honestly if you’d met him in 2009 when he started you wouldn’t believe the difference.”


As part of his ongoing rehabilitation, Paul will begin volunteering in the new Headway Sale store, which he hopes will help him regain basic life skills lost through his injury and obtain vital work experience — with the hope that he will eventually return to work or full-time education.


Paul said: “You might say I’d love to out something back into the community.


“Having gone through surgery and seen people who haven’t been as lucky, I’m not bitter about the way things have gone, I was down at one point but you’ve just got to get over that, this is the way you are and you’ve just got to move on and live life to the full.


“I feel like I’ve been given a second chance in life.”


For more information on Headway, the brain injury association, visit: headway.org.uk/home.aspx.