Maximiliano Braun ©

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2. 

   Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Robert Newell driving between Kilkeel and Newry. Robert's driving is cautious, unlike that of Agnes who has already been in two car accidents. One of them, she says, was not her fault whilst the other traffic incident involved her being in a car (not hers) that was drag racing and which its breaks were not functioning properly. She says that has become more cautious in driving since that day but admits 'speeding sensibly'. This time Robert is driving to Newry to a Headway meeting. Headway is a UK nationwide charity which supports people and families who are touched by brain injury. That night Robert was appointed (to his surprise) president of the Newry branch of Headway, the largest in Northern Ireland.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Robert Newell driving between Kilkeel and Newry. Robert's driving is cautious, unlike that of Agnes who has already been in two car accidents. One of them, she says, was not her fault whilst the other traffic incident involved her being in a car (not hers) that was drag racing and which its breaks were not functioning properly. She says that has become more cautious in driving since that day but admits 'speeding sensibly'. This time Robert is driving to Newry to a Headway meeting. Headway is a UK nationwide charity which supports people and families who are touched by brain injury. That night Robert was appointed (to his surprise) president of the Newry branch of Headway, the largest in Northern Ireland.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, September, 2009. Charlene and Robert Newell look at people dance at a birthday party at the 'hen house', a community house on the South of Kilkeel.

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     Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Irelad, September, 2009. Charlene Newell in her living room at home.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Robert's left leg's prosthesis. Robert must wear it every day in order to help him walk as well as ease up some of the pain in his leg. At nights, Robert would take it off and put it back on in the mornings. Robert must wear something reminiscent of a pair of tights, a long tight sock, except that it only goes on his left leg which otherwise would be in naked contact with the prosthesis all day long.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October 2009. Cherlene Newell looks at Robert as he enters their home.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Charlene and Robert Newell at their dining table. Charlene reads Robert's work ID up close not because of the dim light, but because she is partially sighted. Charlene is a registered blind person and can not see much beyond from where the ID is at. She says she can see shapes and movement but would not be able to distinguish an object on a table which has a similar colour to the surface. Things around the kitchen are colour coded to stand out to the eye.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Photographs of Robert when he was younger. The bottom two are portraits of him before the accident and the upper photographs shows him after the accident, on a wheelchair, with an ex-girlfriend.

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     Portrush, County Antrim. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Agnes Newell (19), Robert and Charlene's daughter, waiting for the train at the station on the seaside town of Portrush.

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     Kilkeel, County Down. Northern Ireland, October, 2009. Bathroom at the Newell family home. The shower is modified for disabled people and most things in the bathroom are low in height. Robert would sit on the chair and have a shower and the handles next to the toilet ease up the effort in getting up.