6 minute read
Life-changing injury leads to new career in adaptive clothing for mum of three
After suffering injuries in an attack while working as a police officer, Helen Hignett has been left with serious long term effects. Her own experiences told her that a lot of specialist adaptive clothing could be improved –and she decided to do something about it for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. Here she shares her story.
I am a 41-year-old mum of three who has taken the empowering decision to launch a new collection of sensory and adaptive children’s clothing following a life-changing injury.
In 2010 I was serving as a police officer for Greater Manchester Police. It was just another morning when I woke up and put my uniform on ready for another shift, as I had done hundreds of times before. However, I didn’t realise at the time that this would be a shift that would change my life. Later that day, I was assaulted during the execution of my duties. The handcuffed attacker struck me across the face and head multiple times causing the back of my head to hit the police van when I fell to the floor injured and bleeding. Sadly, the trauma sustained from the head injury left me with chronic head and face pain that I live with daily and led to a range of debilitating conditions – including PTSD, fibromyalgia and hemiplegic migraine disorder, with paralysis, blackouts and seizures.
The person who assaulted me was suffering from a mental health condition at the time of the assault. They weren’t responsible for their actions as they were suffering from a severe mental health condition. Now, I just take every day as it comes and try to live a life helping others. I was later granted ill health retirement from the force - on Christmas Eve of 2016. Seven years later, I still don’t know when something will trigger an hemiplegic migraine episode, which starts with visual aura and slurred speech and causes sudden paralysis on the right side of my body. These can be minor and last for minutes, or severe and last for days, leaving me bed ridden. It is a condition that is often mistaken as a stroke or epilepsy due to identical symptoms. On one particular occasion I was home with two of my daughters. Mia, aged eight, was downstairs doing her homework and Ava, one, was upstairs in my bedroom with me when I felt the start of an oncoming episode. As I walked towards my bed I blacked out, collapsed and became unconscious whilst having a seizure. My daughter Mia heard a loud bang and came upstairs to find me on the floor. Mia rang 999 and followed their instructions to clear my airways and place me in the recovery position. She saved my life. She subsequently received a Pride of Britain Award for the ‘Child of Courage’ category in 2021 and a rare Blue Peter Gold badge. To say I’m proud of her is an understatement.
Despite these challenges, I have continued to strive for self-improvement – returning to higher education, earning a degree and Masters, and becoming a three-time Amazon best-selling author.
I have now turned my attention to the world of sensory and adaptive clothing design, where I hope to have a positive impact. I am so grateful to my husband and children for helping me with dressing when needed, but a few thoughtful changes to the way clothes are designed could make life easier for us all. I knew I wanted to launch a clothing collection, but it’s my niece Lilly and her challenges that have made me focus my first ever range on babies and young people. I want to help create a world where children like Lilly, who is partially blind and has Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder, can experience clothes as an enabler rather than a barrier.
My mission is to help parents and carers to dress children who have physical limitations with more ease and less pain. A lot of the clothes I have seen on the market for children with additional needs prioritise functionality over fashion. The closures are very visible, and there tends to be limited fabric options. I was determined, therefore, that our adaptative features would be concealed, and that the prints would be vibrant and contemporary.
The debut collection, from Adaptive Clothing UK, consists of everyday basics such as t-shirts, joggers and leggings, as well as sunsafe swimsuits, vests and onesies and school uniform. It is designed for babies and children aged zero to 18.
All of our labels are printed on the fabric, and we have consciously used flat stitching to minimise discomfort and any sensory triggers. We have added poppers in strategic locations to make dressing and changing faster, reducing discomfort and stress for everyone involved. I work closely with those who know best – parents, professionals and children – to develop the range, and I use the knowledge I’ve gained through my own personal experience.
Our products have recently been described as ‘genius’, and an added bonus is that these clothes are inclusive for the whole family and not restricted to children with physical limitations, so any child can benefit from the ease of access. Our swimsuits range also makes changing a nappy so much easier.
Adaptive Clothing UK has recently won ‘Best adaptive and sensory brand UK 2023’ in the LUX Life awards, and has been shortlisted into the finals of the Enterprise Vision Awards (EVA Awards) for inspirational female, as well as being made a finalist of the She Inspires awards in the SHEro category. I have been incredibly humbled that people thought me and my journey worthy enough to nominate me for such awards. I have partnered with the incredible charity Just 4 Children, and donate a percentage of our profits – another way to make a difference.
