A WOMAN whose only memory following a brain haemorrhage was her dream of opening a florist’s shop has seen her vision come true.

Lucy Jones was an office manager at Malvern Town Council when she suffered the haemorrhage in December 2006, leaving her with damaged eyesight, impaired memory and unable to read and write.

Two aneurysms left her with titanium coils fitted to her cerebral artery and because of her sight problems, she could no longer drive.

The 57-year-old, of Lower Howsell Road, Malvern, had already had ideas about going into floristry full time.

She said: “The only thing I could remember after my operation was I would like to run my own business as a florist but there was a long way to go as I could not read or write, was dizzy when standing and my memory was lacking.

“I didn’t know my husband Andrew or my three children, but without them I would not have got here.”

She had occupational and speech therapy at the acquired brain injury unit at South Worcestershire College in Malvern.

She said: “I was very determined to do everything for myself, to try and learn all the things I had forgotten, and my damaged eyesight made things harder. My family and friends encouraged me and I did not lose faith in getting back to my old self.”

She had to be persuaded to attend the unit because her confidence was very low, but after her first visit, she realised she could gain confidence by meeting people with similar problems.

“The more I learnt, the better I felt and my determination to be a florist grew,” she said.

Mrs Jones booked herself on a City and Guilds course at Pershore Horticultural College and spent many hours re-learning everything to do with floristry.

Because of her eye problems, she often travels by train and she started creating floral arrangements at the tea room at Great Malvern station.

“Many people using the train admired the flowers and some said that it brightened their day,” she said.

“Things have really progressed and I am now opening my shop at the station, called Shrinking Violet Bespoke Floristry.”