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For actor Emilia Clarke, surviving two life-threatening brain haemorrhages changed her understanding of recovery and the support people need after a medical crisis. In 2019, she founded the brain injury recovery charity SameYou with her mother, Jenny Clarke, to address gaps in rehabilitation and help survivors rebuild their lives.
According to SameYou's 2026 Impact Report, the charity has raised more than £3.8 million since its launch and helped over 1,200 survivors access NeuroRehabilitation Online (NROL). Its work has also received recognition through the NHS Excellence Awards 2026, highlighting how online rehabilitation can extend support beyond hospital discharge.
How Clarke's experience led to SameYou
Clarke, known for playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, experienced two brain haemorrhages while working on the television series.
Her recovery exposed her to the physical and emotional challenges that can continue long after a patient survives a medical emergency. The experience also drew attention to the difficulties survivors face when they leave hospital without sufficient rehabilitation or long-term support.
Brain injuries can affect movement, communication, memory, mental health and a person's sense of identity, making recovery a process that extends beyond immediate medical treatment.
Clarke and her mother launched SameYou in 2019 to improve access to rehabilitation for people affected by brain injury and stroke. The charity works with clinicians, researchers, healthcare providers and survivors to develop practical recovery solutions. Rather than focusing exclusively on treatment immediately after an injury, SameYou aims to support people as they rebuild their lives, relationships and confidence.
Its 2026 Impact Report identifies clinical rehabilitation, community support and educational resources as three central areas of its work.
More than £3.8 million raised since 2019
SameYou's 2026 Impact Report records total fundraising of £3,812,226 since the charity was established. The report says this investment has supported four major research projects, postgraduate training in neurorehabilitation nursing and practical programmes designed to improve access to recovery services.
The charity also develops resources to help survivors understand their condition and manage challenges after leaving the hospital.
These include information on sleep, nutrition, cognitive changes and social difficulties, alongside services intended to help people navigate rehabilitation and return to employment.SameYou says many survivors experience a sharp reduction in support after discharge, even though physical, psychological and social challenges can persist.
Its work seeks to address this gap by combining clinical services with peer support, education and practical assistance. The charity relies on donations rather than government funding, according to its report. Its model involves working with established healthcare and research organisations to test approaches that could eventually reach more people.
Online rehabilitation reaches more than 1,200 survivors
One of SameYou's significant initiatives is NeuroRehabilitation Online, which provides group rehabilitation sessions through video calls.
The programme allows NHS therapists to deliver physical, cognitive and other forms of support to participants in their own homes. The charity co-created and funded NROL with the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology during the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to face-to-face rehabilitation was disrupted.
The initiative was subsequently expanded with NHS partners in Lancashire and South Cumbria.SameYou's 2026 Impact Report states that more than 1,200 survivors have accessed NROL.
The programme is intended to complement existing rehabilitation services, giving participants additional opportunities to practise skills, receive guidance and connect with others facing similar challenges. According to SameYou, the programme has expanded across NHS partner trusts and includes physical, talking and community groups led by therapy teams.
Online delivery can also reduce the need for patients to travel to hospital, an important consideration for people whose mobility or energy levels remain affected by a brain injury.
NHS Excellence Award recognises the programme
In May 2026, SameYou announced that NROL had been named Regional Champion for Patient Involvement and Choice at the NHS Excellence Awards. The recognition highlighted the programme's approach to making rehabilitation more accessible and involving patients in their recovery. The award also reflects collaboration among clinicians, researchers, NHS organisations and people with lived experience. NROL was originally developed as a response to pandemic-related disruption, but it has since become an ongoing model for delivering additional rehabilitation outside traditional clinical settings.SameYou reports that the programme has supported hundreds of people affected by stroke, brain injury and other neurological conditions through its NHS partnerships. The charity's wider impact report also records 48 nurses enrolled in a postgraduate neurorehabilitation training programme.
Expanding support beyond hospital discharge
SameYou's work reflects a broader challenge in healthcare: surviving a brain injury is only the beginning of recovery for many patients.
Rebuilding independence can require sustained physical therapy, emotional support, social connection and help returning to work. Through NROL, peer-support initiatives and educational resources, the charity is working to make these forms of assistance more accessible.
Its impact report outlines plans to extend rehabilitation provision and develop further support for survivors and their families.Seven years after its founding, SameYou has combined more than £3.8 million in fundraising with programmes intended to address gaps in recovery care. Clarke's experience helped bring attention to the issue, while the charity's partnerships have translated that awareness into practical rehabilitation initiatives for people navigating life after brain injury.