Bethel - A fall that changed everything

"I didn't fall on my head," says Antonia von Reden confidently. But that's not literally true, because that's exactly what happened on that fateful night of partying in September 2009: she fell, hit her head on a step and fell unconscious. A friend reacted immediately and administered first aid. "With a brain injury, every second counts," says the now 41-year-old. The emergency doctor took the seriously injured woman to a neurosurgery department in a nearby hospital.

Antonia von Reden was operated on immediately. Several operations were necessary to stop bleeding and relieve intracranial pressure. She was in a coma for over three months. "My body was put into energy-saving mode so that I could concentrate fully on healing," explains the Lipp native. "I was a total loss." When she woke up from her coma, she had to relearn everything: eating, speaking, walking. She was treated in clinics in Nordhausen and Hamburg for a total of eight months. Her family and friends were a great support.

Antonia von Reden
"I want to encourage others with my story."
Antonia von Reden

"It never occurred to me to give up," emphasises Antonia von Reden. "I used to play tennis and have always been ambitious. Sport teaches you to fight. That's also how I approached my recovery." She set herself milestones and overcame one hurdle after another. During her rehab in Bremen, she moved into a shared flat especially for young people, where the programme included occupational therapy and neuropsychological treatment as well as everyday life and life training. "I always wanted to understand what was behind the treatments and how I could adapt therapy measures for myself in order to stay motivated," explains the determined woman. Whether during an internship in an artist's studio or in her free time, Antonia von Reden developed her very own therapy plan, which she integrated into her everyday life. "I gave it my all for five years." She even completed her design degree in Cologne in spring 2015. For her thesis, she used her recent experiences and developed a campaign to raise public awareness of people with acquired brain injuries (AIB).

Antonia von Reden and Nicole Zielke during rehearsals at the Bethel theatre workshop.
Antonia von Reden (left) and Nicole Zielke rehearse for a performance by the Bethel Theatre Workshop performance group.

Back at home in East Westphalia-Lippe, her commitment really took off: Antonia von Reden made contact with experts at Bethel. As a person affected, she wanted to be involved. The designer, who works full-time in a tourism and marketing agency, supported a psycho-educational programme for people with acquired brain damage, for example, in which complicated medical facts are explained in an understandable way, for example using pictograms. She is also involved in the "GUT" model project for participation, a collaboration between the OWL University Hospital and Bethel, and regularly gives talks at further training courses and specialist conferences for people with brain damage. As a member of the Bethel Theatre Workshop performance group, the committed expert knows her way around the limelight. No stage fright! "I already took part in the theatre group at school and I still really enjoy it," she enthuses. She skilfully makes the most of the attention on stage. "I want to encourage others with my story and be a role model."

 

Text: Christina Heitkämper | Picture: Barbara Franke

This story simply told

Antonia von Reden fell in 2009 and suffered a serious head injury. She had to be treated in hospital for a long time and relearn everything: eating, speaking, walking. But the young woman never gave up. She underwent many therapies to regain her abilities. Today, she is involved in various projects for people with disabilities.

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    Bethel Theatre Workshop
    Handwerkerstraße 5
    33619 Bielefeld

    0521 144-3040

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    The Bethel Theatre Workshop has been giving people space for their own artistic and cultural development since 1983. Every year, up to 1,000 people with and without disabilities take part in theatre productions, workshops and public performances. The three main areas are the Volxtheater, the Volxakademie for inclusive culture and the specialist performing arts service.

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