The family of a grandmother killed in a road collision have raised over £17,000 for a brain injury charity to honour her legacy.
Punam Malhi, 65, suffered a brain injury after being hit by a truck 650 metres away from the front door of her Osterley home on June 20th.
She died forty days later, holding her husband Brahm’s hand.
Two days after the grandmother-of-eight’s death, the Malhi family launched a fundraiser and raised over £17,000 for brain injury charity, Headway.
Punam’s son, Girish, said: “We are heartbroken.
“But we want to honour her the way she lived: selfless by helping others first.”
Girish said that up until her final moments, his mother was putting others first by setting out to buy ingredients to bake bread for her granddaughters’ birthdays.
Instead of sending flowers or condolences, the family urge the public to donate to Headway in memory of their mother.
They said the charity offers information and emotional support at times of need, something they now have first-hand experience of.
Headway is a UK charity that offers resources and information on brain injuries, alongside bereavement counseling and advice.
The charity offers their services to brain injury survivors and their families as well as health professionals.
Luke Girggs, the CEO of Headway said: “We are touched that the Malhi family have chosen to raise funds to support Headway’s work in Punam’s name.
“Every penny raised, and all the awareness generated will support our mission to help individuals and families affected by brain injury.”
Headway recently released a report, ‘When Funding Fails’, exposing delays in appointments for brain injury survivors needing rehabilitation as some local areas are left without any volunteer-centres due to widespread closures.
The charity say that, as shown through the findings of the report, brain injury services are in crisis.
Every 90 seconds in the UK a person is admitted to hospital with a brain injury.
Feature Image Credit: The Malhi Family
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