When Ann Cummings heard her son had been seriously hurt in a car crash she felt her world had been shattered.

Her aspirations and dreams for Ian faded rapidly as he underwent emergency brain surgery and slipped into a deep coma.

Ann and husband John were told to prepare themselves for the worst scenario a parent could face, the death of a child.

But Ian, 17 at the time of his accident in December 1986, was a fighter.

Ann said: "We were told that, although in a coma, there was a chance he could hear us so we tried everything we could think of to wake our son. To our amazement, Ian hung on in there.

"We were then told that although Ian would live, he would probably be a vegetable for the rest of his life."

Ian did wake up but the effects of his brain injuries were all to evident.

Ann described her son as a baby living in the shell of a 17-year-old man.

All of Ian's muscles had shut down so his first step to recovery was learning to breathe for himself without the aid of a ventilator.

When his condition stabilised a year later, the family began their search for suitable rehabilitation programmes for their son.

NHS waiting lists were long but eventually Ian was offered the choice of staying on a psychiatric or geriatric ward.

The couple realised neither was suitable and Ann made the decision to give up work and care for her son full-time.

She said: "Once Ian was home, the learning programme continued and still does to this day. He had short-term memory problems, lack of concentration and no confidence.

"With no help, advice or support from anyone, we had to become his GP, nurse, nursemaid, physiotherapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, chauffeur, case manager, but above all, his mum, dad and sister."

This change in Ann's life marked a turning point for the whole family, which was to impact on countless sufferers of brain injuries and their families for years to come.

Staff at the Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre, Haywards Heath, which treats brain injuries, had kept on at Ann to start a support group for other families in the same position. Two years after Ian's accident she still felt traumatised but was eventually persuaded.

The group met regularly in the centre's waiting room to discuss the day-to-day problems they faced and offer each other support.

In 1989, the Headway Hurstwood Park group was officially up and running, formed by five families in similar circumstances. The group shared a common gripe - a lack of day care facilities in Sussex for people with acquired brain injuries.

The crusade began and a breakthrough was made when a Sussex farmer offered the group a rebuilt cowshed to meet in.

Unfortunately the building had not been made to planning specifications and residents had voiced their objections.

The group called a meeting to gauge the public's response to the possibility of a day centre being built in the village of Newick.

Ann said: "At the end of the meeting a gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and said he was from the Leonard Cheshire Foundation and he had a house standing empty. I just said yes immediately."

The Leonard Cheshire Foundation is a charity providing services for disabled people and his "house" turned out to be a mansion set in 44 acres of land, nestled in the Sussex countryside.

Six years after Ian's accident, the Headway Hurstwood Park Rehabilitation Centre opened in October 1992.

The trust employed just one member of staff and offered rehabilitation to five clients, two days a week.

A decade on, about 30 brain-injured men and women receive help and support five days a week from 20 staff.

Clients participate in physiotherapy, gentle sports and creative activities. Life skills are also encouraged through cookery and social activities.

It's been tough going for Ann, now president of the group, but much-needed encouragement was given when she was made an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List last year.

Ian has come on in leaps and bounds. Ann, John and their daughter Kay say they are immensely proud and looking forward to him achieving his dream of independent living.

The centre is affiliated to the national charity Headway, for brain-injured people.

Next week, from February 24 to March 2 during Brain Injury Awareness Week, staff are launching a campaign to raise £500,000 as part of their tenth anniversary appeal.

Ann hopes to replace ageing temporary buildings on the site, where various therapies take place.

She said: "This appeal is so important to Headway Hurstwood Park and more importantly to our clients. By rebuilding part of the day centre we can provide our vital services within purpose-designed accommodation offering much better facilities.

"Brain injury can occur within seconds but the results can last a lifetime and change the lives of not just the individuals but also their families and friends. We do not receive any direct state or local authority funding for our work. Day- to-day costs are covered by fees charged to clients which, in the vast majority of cases, are met by Social Services departments.

"However, this income is not enough to cover the cost of equipment, materials, rebuilding or any future expansion projects. We really do hope the people of Sussex will get behind the appeal and help us raise the funds needed for this rebuild."

To help support the appeal or to find out more about the centre, call 01825 724323 or email info@headway-hp.org.uk