My job as TV producer
Kelly was my production manager who I was working for before my ABI ten years ago in 2013. We worked together in London for WAG TV producing programmes for Discovery Channel. Originally though, we met in Norwich after I left Uni. In Norfolk, Kelly and I first worked together on a TV show called Front of House, for Imago Productions. This was a crazy property make-over show, but good fun. I met some great people and we all bonded very well as a crew. It was filmed all around the UK, so quite exhausting.
I then went on to work on a lot of regional programmes for Anglia TV as Assistant Producer. For one of my first big AP roles, I was sent over to Texas in America for a TV series by Granada, called Animal Cops Houston. This was about working with animal rescue in Texas. This was an amazing job and I really enjoyed working in America, but this wasn’t the end of my travels.
I then moved to London in my mid-twenties where I again worked with Kelly at WAG TV for around ten years. We were making lots of shows for many different genres and I was working in development, coming up with ideas for the next big TV show! One night I even ended up in Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk looking for UFOs.
One idea I initiated was with a gentleman called Bruce Crompton who had an amazing collection of military artefacts, and he was also a great character. I first met him when I was looking for talent by scouting antique fairs in Suffolk! This became the series called Combat Dealers, which I believe is still running on Quest TV/Discovery Channel today.
It was really interesting and fun job.
My job took me all around the world. My main employment at that time was a show called ‘How Do They Do It?’ for Discovery Channel. That was when I was a freelance TV producer. I’ve heard from colleagues that the higher you rise the harder it gets. There have been a lot of changes in the industry since I left, making it more challenging now. I got to travel the world going to America, Thailand, Burmah and China.
In Thailand at The Golden Triangle, we were filming How Do They Do It - Animals – This was about how they make the most expensive coffee in the world. We covered two different types, one made from elephant dung, in Chiang Mai where there are community projects for the Elephant Foundation. Another in the series was coffee cherries digested by civit cats which is known as Kopi luwak. All very fascinating, I could talk about it for hours.
I was even interviewed on Chinese TV! Peter and I were standing here in front of The Shanghai ship, China Max. Unfortunately, I can’t find a link to the programme I appeared on!
I was also in Trinidad and Tobago filming about the local rum, those were the days.
The next chapter of my life
Kelly knew me best of anyone and I was delighted to meet up with her over Christmas in 2023. It was an eye opener because she could see how much progress I had made in the last ten years of my recovery. She of course witnessed me at my lowest point after I contracted the virus after my vacation in Vietnam in 2013, and I had to rebuild my life from scratch.
Having spoken to Kelly I also felt a bit sad about how much I had actually lost. It was always a challenging career, but I enjoyed the fast-paced lifestyle, it was my entire life. I had got to the level of Director/Producer and was very pleased with that. Of course, it was well paid and I travelled the world and now my life is very different, living in Norwich, again. Things change for no rhyme or reason, can be out of our control and we just have to get on with it. Sometimes life just has other plans!
Kelly kindly composed the following synopsis of these years for me, below.
“When Emma was first diagnosed with her brain injury, we had been making TV documentaries together for many years. So, when she began her rehabilitation journey and was unable to answer for herself who was Emma the Producer / Director? It was me she turned to, to find out.
Emma was brilliant at what she did, she had a keen nose for a story and was great at getting the best out of her contributors. No matter how poorly Emma got, I always saw that same determination that she applied throughout her career come across, in the way she approached her recovery.
She knew that the Emma before the brain injury had a lot of say through the medium of television and you can see the parallels in her work on her podcast, blog and how she raises awareness for Headway Norfolk and Waveney and other such organisations.
Emma has come such a long way and although she hasn’t made her way back into television, she stills knows the power of communication and uses her voice to represent those like her to push for a better, wider, understanding of what is life is like for those living with a brain injury.
If that shining star of TV she once was before her brain injury, could see her now, she would be so proud of how she has utilised her work-based skills. 10 years on and Emma has achieved so much more than we all thought possible.” Kelly Hood, Production Manager, WAG ENTERTAINMENT
Working for Headway, Norfolk & Waveney
For the first time in seven years, I got a proper job! Amazingly, it was after a Zoom call interview with Headway during the lockdown. I had applied for the position as a Lived Experience Communicator. I love attending the Headway coffee mornings which are held at The Forum every week. Each area of Norfolk has a coffee meet for those that have been assessed through ABI and would like to attend.
Two or three of us will work the room at the cafe, chatting to as many clients as we can, to ensure everyone feels welcomed and included. This is so important especially for those who have only recently acquired an ABI, just come out of hospital and may have lost their confidence even leaving the house. This is the time that they really need social contact with people who truly understand what they are going through. It’s a time for hearing people’s life stories and signposting people to other helpful support networks, which I really enjoy. This role is a new one and was funded by The Lottery.
Headpod interviews
When I first started working for Headway Norfolk and Waveney, they were interested in my previous podcast ‘The Longest Battle’ which I created after working at ACAST. Headway Norfolk and Waveney thought it might be good to do something similar for their clients and so the Headpods were born. I interview people with various degrees of brain injury. The one thing I have learnt from this is that everyone’s brain injury is different and that we all have unique challenges to overcome. We are all on our own path to becoming the best we can. If you would like to listen in and be inspired, please see the link below on the Headway Norfolk & Waveney site:
“Headpods is a series of inspiring interviews with people who have overcome huge adversity following their brain injury. It is presented by Emma Martins who herself has an acquired brain injury. - Headpods | Headway Norfolk and Waveney (headway-nw.org.uk)
Memory challenge
Every time I leave the house is a small challenge, because it involves using a combination of memory and sight, both of which can be hard. I need to go through a step-by-step procedure to make sure that I don’t forget anything. I have heard about a phone tracker and also one for objects and keys, in fact I got one for Christmas and I’ve even lost that already! Apparently, you can also pop it on a dog collar so they don’t go astray, but at least I don’t have to worry about that one. It really helps if I keep my things in the same place all the time though, so I can locate them easier.
In the early days, I used to have a routine where I mentally checked off what I needed to take and if it was in my bag. I needed to make a list of these things and keep it somewhere that I could easily access. I also had a big whiteboard which I could note things I needed to remember. I don’t need these things so much these days. The list would include the essential things like house keys, mobile phone, purse and anything else I needed for that day’s activities including sunglasses, if it was sunny. As I live in England and it rains often, I usually need to think about taking an umbrella. I cannot drive due to my lack of vision, so I walk a lot. This means remembering to take layers too, so that I keep warm. Cold extremities can be an issue due to the right-hand side of my body’s lack of circulation sometimes.
If I am going to work for Headway Norfolk and Waveney, I need additional things like my work folder and headphones so that I can do my mindfulness routine before or after. I google 15 minute mindfulness meditations on YouTube, there are so many, so definitely worth a search. I will tell you more about this useful tool in another blog. If I am going to a reading class I will need to take my exercise book for that. I always need to leave enough time before leaving the house, so that I don’t get flustered, otherwise I will end up forgetting something in my panic. I still get anxious and aim to remain as calm as possible at moments like these, which I will tell you more about in the mindfulness section next time.
I hope this blog is helping people understand more about brain injuries and recovery. I knew nothing about it before my ABI and it’s a very good thing and useful thing to know about.
The content on this platform is produced by Emma Martins, Lived Experience Communicator, in collaboration with her support worker. All views expressed herein are solely those of Emma Martins and her support worker, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Headway Norfolk and Waveney.
It is essential to note that the content shared represents personal experiences and is not intended as professional advice. For medical guidance and assistance, especially if you require specific healthcare recommendations, it is strongly advised to consult with qualified medical professionals, including your general practitioner (GP). The information provided on this platform should not be considered a substitute for personalised medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Headway Norfolk and Waveney disclaims any liability arising from reliance on the information presented here for medical decision-making. Always consult with healthcare professionals for accurate and personalised guidance based on your individual circumstances.