The liminal space of anguish: the experience of two mothers whose children have acquired traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Two women, who have sons with traumatic brain injury, have engaged with me in an extended dialogue about their experience. This dialogue is presented as what Frank (1995) refers to as a post-modern reclaiming of the right to tell one's own story - a postcolonial demand to speak rather than be spoken for. The telling of these stories becomes a political and ethical act. This thesis foregrounds the women's stories and juxtaposes them with my reflexive text, my heart talk, my soul talk. This heart/soul talk is positioned in such a way that it not only unfolds my critical thinking and mindfulness throughout the research process, it also tracks my search for a way to present aesthetically my philosophical and practice position.