Kissed, kicked, nor run over?

... yes, well I've been all three

It was April (I think), it was 1987 and I was 8 years old. I was knocked off my BMX bike when apparently attempting to cross the road from between two parked cars. Now I say apparently as I have no recollection of the accident whatsoever and never did. In the 80s we didn't wear helmets as standard so as you can see it didn't go too well for my head.

According to stories, I've been told I was knocked off my bike and hit my head on the ground. I have no idea who I was with or who was there. A number of friends told me they were with me but I don't remember. A good friend told me how he rang for the ambulance - so to him I say thank you.

I was taken to Pendlebury Children's Hospital. Not too sure if I was taken to Bolton Hospital first though? It was a long time ago and like I said before I didn't even know about being in the accident.

I was then in a coma for around four weeks and I was connected to a Life Support Machine which kept my brain alive. I have no recollection of this at all. Being connected to this machine meant that the clinical staff couldn't move my head and after four weeks this caused pressure sores on the back of my head, which were initially scabby and full of puss. It took a very long time for these to dry up and heal but I still have these scars/bald spots to this day.

The first thing I remembered was waking up in a hospital ward. I wasn't able to talk and was paralysed down the whole of the left-hand side of my body. I had suffered damage to my brain from the knock on my head. Not being able to talk was so frustrating as I knew exactly what I wanted to say but no words came out of my mouth. It was a really strange experience. I had to write things down to say what I wanted and as I am right-handed so I could still communicate of a fashion. I remember that my spelling was a bit off-kilter at times. For example, when I needed the toilet, I'd write TOLET - I was 8 years old and had suffered a serious accident so did quite well I think lol. I was mute for weeks.

I've seen photos of me in another bed on another ward but I mustn't have been compos mentis as I have no recollection of and this was just after I came out of my coma.

I couldn't walk due to not having any control of my left-hand side - so not being able to go to the toilet myself caused me so much distress and frustration. The bed I was in was also a cot with raised sides. It was for my own protection; if I'd have fallen out I wouldn't have been able to get up. I didn't see it as so though; it felt like I was being treated like a young child. It made me angry and frustrated.

I attended Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and saw a Child Psychologist a few times per week whilst in hospital. As I got feeling back in my left-hand side I fought to be independent and I remember being extremely frustrated when I was forced to use a wheelchair. I was in the hospital for a few more months. Lots of my family and friends visited and I had lots of attention.

I had my 9th birthday in hospital and remember getting tonnes of Lego. I absolutely loved Lego when I was that age. Lots of school mates came to see me in hospital and I remember getting a radio-controlled car as a present from the nurses on the ward who had also made me a birthday cake too. I had another birthday cake made too. Not sure if I'm remembering correctly but it may have been a Mr T cake. Only now as I write this, is it dawning on me of the irony of a Mr Tough cake lol.

Months I spent in hospital and my recovery was slow but steady. There was a lad in the bed on the ward next to me with his legs in traction and he was laid up not able to move. So, my time was a doddle compared to him. I felt like a superstar at the time as the staff at the hospital and any visitors seeing me treated me so fantastically. That said I must have put my parents through the wringer with worry in all that time.

Still today I cannot remember the accident and I still don't know exactly what happened. I just have an idea in my mind made up of different people's stories. The Bolton Journal (free newspaper) did a story on me after I'd recovered.. and had my bike fixed.

After leaving the hospital I attended Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy regularly for a fairly long time after, and saw the Child Phycologist a number of times too.

I'm not writing this for sympathy as there is actually nothing wrong with me apart from a few bald spots on the back of my head and a real 'Harry Potter-style' scar on my forehead (where the Life Support was connected). I guess I was extremely lucky.

I want to share stories from my life - a kind of Autobiographical journey as it were. I had thought once that I should write an autobiography but gave it up as a bad job lol. People would be bored 🤣🤣 ... and I couldn't be bothered. So, posting stories on my web site will give people an insight into my life.

Thanks for reading.