Sophie Cole, a special education teacher, was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic pain disorder, after her left hand was slammed into a steel-reinforced table while at work.
"In that moment the child had spilled water on the ground I went to clean it up so they didn't slip.
"I went over and knelt beside them and I put my hand on the table to balance myself and when I did that my hand was grabbed and slammed into a steel table and in that instance my life was changed as a I knew it.
"This time last year I sat in my consultant’s office in Dublin just crying because we were at a point where we thought 'where do we go now'.
"We were at a point where we had a spinal cord stimulator, nothing was helping, nothing was relieving the pain and you just can't live with that amount of pain on a daily basis.
"So, I was standing in his office and we were asking about amputation and even that wasn’t an option and amputation at that time it would have been the dream because it would have relieved the pain.
"The complex regional pain syndrome is this burning pain that you’re left with daily and it as if your hand is left in a flame of fire and being torn across the cheese grater.
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"It's been devastating. You lose a huge part of yourself, I lost my ability to drive and even cut up my own food and I lost my career which I worked so hard for. I went to counselling for quite a while and I was taught to grieve the loss of who I was so emotionally it takes a huge toll."
Ms Cole said she experienced huge financial stress after she used up the assault leave and all her sick leave while trying to recover from her injury.
She said she was left in a position where she was struggling to pay her mortgage and bills. She is now in receipt of the State invalidity payment of €249.50 a week as she is unable to work due to her injury.
Ms Cole said she was entitled to three months assault leave pay, and although she said the Department of Education states that "you can get six months in exceptional circumstances, I didn't seem to qualify for that and I’m not aware of anyone else who has".
'You're constantly walking on eggshells'
Another woman Joanne (not her real name) said she had her nose broken by a student in a special needs class she was working in.
"I have had my nose broken which has resulted in a complete loss of sense of smell. I can't breath through my left nostril anymore because of the way the fracture happened, nothing drains from my nose anymore, so I have continued headaches.
"Never mind the mental toll of it. I have had chairs thrown on me, tables thrown and flipped, books, anything you could possibly get you hands on in a classroom.
"I have had metal IKEA baskets thrown at me. I have been pushed, kicked, scared, verbally abused on a daily basis.
"Anytime it starts in my classroom I genuinely fear for my safety. I have been in therapy since my nose was broken.
"I have paid for everything myself bar my initial A&E visit because that is all we are entitled to be paid for when we are assaulted. My hair is falling out so that is not fun.
"It’s been really hard I barely sleep because at the very beginning with the first one it was like nightmares, it sounds silly because it’s a child, but like I could replay everything over and over in my head.
"As it became more frequent the stress, my heart rate even talking about it now I know my heart rate is going up. Every day going into work you're constantly worrying about what's going to happen that day, you're constantly walking on eggshells."
