When David was left with a serious brain injury after a road collision, he faced a huge uphill battle to try and rebuild his life – but having achieved several milestones, including regaining the ability to talk, his progress continues. Here, his team at Askham Rehab tell David’s recovery story so far.
Having been left with a brain injury following a serious road collision, David is now rebuilding his life with the support of a specialist rehab community.
It was in 2017 when David, a carpenter in his early 30s, was left with life-changing injuries when his car hit a lorry.
He sustained a diffuse axonal brain injury, as well as having to undergo an at-scene amputation of his right arm above the elbow. He was in a prolonged disorder of consciousness, unable to speak, make eye contact with other people or engage in therapy sessions.
Happily, David is now being supported with overcoming the many obstacles he faced by the team at Askham Rehab, a specialist neurorehab community near Doddington.
Admitted to Askham from a Level 1 rehabilitation unit in 2018, David has made great strides, supported by the wide-ranging therapies and high-tech rehab support on offer.
“David arrived at Askham with a very significant brain injury. Diffuse axonal injuries cause a lot of damage to brain cells and, being so life-threatening, can take an extensive period of time to recover from,” says Sara Neaves, clinical lead and outpatients service manager at Askham Rehab.
“Due to the nature of the injury, David’s rehabilitation required treatment from all four of our Askham Rehab disciplines; clinical psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy.”
David has benefitted from Askham Rehab’s new robotics and sensor assisted technology, with the community being one of a very small number of providers in the UK to offer a specialist robotic-led rehabilitation service.
Empowered with the state-of-the-art Tyromotion equipment, therapists were able to provide goal-driven therapy to help David push himself to achieve more in a shorter time frame.
The MYRO table, a sensor-based surface with interactive applications, provided cognitive stimulation through patterning and sequencing, helping David to reach and rotate with his left upper limb.
One of David’s favourite pieces of equipment, the OMEGO Plus – a multifunctional chair enabling specific training of functional therapy goals – helped him use his lower limbs, focusing on building range of movement and strength.
David also took part in sessions in Askham Rehab’s hydrotherapy pool, where an aqua therapist helped him stretch out his muscles and improve the range of movement at his joints. The community’s sensory rooms and gardens also helped to stimulate David’s senses and played a crucial part in the development of regaining certain cognitive skills.
“David’s been with us for almost three years now. He couldn’t speak a word on arrival and can now hold conversations. He’s even getting his cheeky personality coming back through,” says Sara.
“He’s hit many milestones since his journey began. The one that sticks out for me is when he gave us his first smile during a physiotherapy session, after splashing us in the hydrotherapy pool.
“It’s been extremely rewarding to see how far he’s progressed. He’s now making eye contact, initiating conversations, participating with the activities team, and engaging in the physiotherapy sessions.
“He’s also close to his extremely supportive family – who have been grateful for everything we’ve provided him with at Askham – so they can visit him on a daily basis.
“Ultimately, being at Askham has been a really positive move for David. Askham’s ethos is all about patience, kindness, and nurturing for people like David.
“Due to his injury, the road to recovery has been a long one, but we’re hopeful that one day David will return home to his parents.”
Summing up his journey so far at Askham, in what is Brain Injury Awareness Month, David says: “It’s nice here at Askham, I like everyone. There are good people looking after me.”
Aliyyah-Begum Nasser, director at Askham, adds: “As a family business with more than 30 years’ experience, including 10 years of neurological rehabilitation expertise, we’re able to offer a quantitative and targeted approach to treatment, as well as greater discretion when targeting key areas following neurological events.
“David’s journey encompasses what Brain Injury Awareness Month is all about; highlighting the strategies to improve the quality of life for persons living with brain injuries and their families.”
