On December 2nd 2010 I was run over by a motorbike whilst crossing the road, I was on holiday on my own and was left lying in the middle of the road unable to move, barely conscious. The bike had run over my legs leaving them shattered into multiple broken pieces. Strangers ran to help, urged me to stay awake and kept me alive until the ambulance came. They saved my life. Emergency surgery, 42 screws and a patchwork of titanium plates did their best to hold together what they could. Questions began to be asked… if I got an infection would I survive, if I did would I walk again? When faced with those questions life began to look unbelievable simple. All the small stuff melted away and the win was making it to the end of the day.
I was in a hospital abroad for just 20 days until I could be transferred back to medical care in the UK. The time there changed my view on life forever, I didn’t speak a word of the local language and was far away from home but the kindness shown to me by strangers who visited has always stayed with me. They held my hand, prayed for me, talked, fed me, and even though it was a terrible experience gave me hope that I would come out stronger.
A local volunteer came and sat with me and held my hand. She was the kindest person I have ever met, she shared with me her own story which had not been easy, I met her beautiful children and she treated me with the respect and dignity which my bed bound body longed for. I remember one day she came in and asked if I wanted my hair washed. To put this in context, I had been unable to leave my bed, wash myself, use a bathroom so having clean hair felt like an unbelievable luxury and made me feel human again. Such a small act to her but such a huge difference to me. She volunteered and helped a lot of patients, this was her life of giving and I had been fortunate to have been on the receiving end of her positivity and generosity. Many times she gave me the inner strength to carry on. I am so lucky to also have a wonderful family and my mother was on the first plane as soon as she heard the news and I had lots of friends sending support but having someone there who I didn’t need to pretend to be strong in front of helped my recovery massively. I often think of her and send her thoughts of gratitude, her spirit and unlimited kindness is something I will always hold incredibly dear.
The lessons I try to remember…
Try and stay humble, facing the reality of life and death makes life pretty simple and wonderful. For me it became so easy to appreciate everything, seeing the outside of the hospital for the first time, walking, breathing. It’s a lesson I sadly often forget when it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day.
Being totally helpless and having to rely on others for the most basic of needs taught me to be thankful, to be kind to others and that you often find love and support from unexpected places and people.
Helping others is the best way to help yourself and being generous with your time reaps more benefits than any amount of gold.
To say thank you. From all the medical doctors, the nurses, my employers, friends and family-I wouldn’t have made it without you by my side.
Most importantly never underestimate the power of a kind word or a generous act, you may never know how much it means to the receiver but showing kindness is one of the most power gifts you have to give.