The Indo Daily: ‘I’m in horrendous pain. I don’t sleep’ – Former teacher on the classroom attack that changed her life

However, there is rarely such a thing as a standard day when it comes to caring for young students with special needs.

It’s an incredibly challenging vocation, one that requires a great deal of compassion and understanding, not to mention a constant state of alertness.

There is also the worry that something could go wrong at any moment, including the risk of physical harm.

Some may argue that these fears come with the territory, and that the potential for such incidents is an unspoken part of the job description, but is that fair?

In the case of Ms Cole, everything changed on that November day when she suffered a violent attack in the classroom, bringing about an abrupt end to her career, and leaving her with a life-altering injury and constant unbearable pain.

“I don’t sleep. I have huge financial stress. I lost all my hobbies. I lost my social life, my independence, my ability to drive,” Ms Cole tells The Indo Daily.

“I went to counselling, and I learned to grieve the loss of my life, basically, which sounds bizarre, but when you’re in that situation, it actually begins to make sense.”

On this episode, Ms Cole joins host Fionnán Sheahan to tell her story, and to talk about her campaign with the Labour Party to try improve conditions for teachers and special needs assistants in Ireland.