News 30 January 2023

London Landmarks 2023 - David's Story

One morning, David fell over on his way to work. He hit his head and suffered a traumatic brain injury, spending a month receiving expert treatment and rehabilitation in King’s College Hospital. Now, fully recovered, David wants to say thank you to the people who gave him his life back.  

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Running a half marathon and fundraising on behalf of King’s College Hospital Charity would have been unthinkable for David back in June 2018. Having just started a new job, he was on his way to work when he fell over outside his flat in Sydenham. In and out of consciousness and unable to remember what happened, David was rushed to King’s College Hospital.  

I don’t remember but my dad told me that I was first taken to Lewisham and Greenwich Hospital, but they transferred me straight to King’s that night. I’m so glad they did, I truly believe King’s saved my life”, says David.

Multiple tests were done and no underlying conditions were found to have caused David’s brain injuries. It was the trauma of banging his head that resulted in a critical double brain haemorrhage and cracks to his skull.  

The King’s neurosurgical team had to weigh up the risks of waiting or performing a very high-risk operation to relieve the pressure that was building around David’s brain:

The surgical team had to walk a tightrope in terms of their decision making. They held their nerve to the right moment to give me the best possible chance of recovery without surgery. Their skill and expertise saved my life.

 

After several nights in the critical care unit (CCU), David was stable enough to be moved to the high dependency unit (HDU) – and awake enough to talk about what happened. “When I came round, I realised that no-one knew what had happened to me. People at work didn’t know where I was and my family had no idea that I was in hospital.”

 

David phoned his mum and the family travelled from Scotland to London:

My dad stayed in nearby accommodation the entire time I was in hospital and was in constant communication with the team at King’s

Before he visited, the team prepared David’s dad for the fact that his son might have difficulty walking and speaking.

The communication and care that my dad experienced from everyone at King’s was faultless. My family were not only well informed, they were kept up to date in a kind and caring way. We couldn’t have asked for more.

 

During his stay in hospital, David received expert care and advice from the surgical team, nursing staff, physiotherapists and speech therapists. After a month, he was ready to be discharged into the care of his parents. He spent three months recuperating in Scotland, eventually travelling to London for work during the week. After eight months, David was back in London full time and making excellent recovery. 

I have some tinnitus and I have to be more careful and avoid rougher sports – no more playing football, sadly – but that’s a small price to pay. The care and after care I had at King’s has had a huge impact on me making such a good recovery. The time and care the neurosurgeons took and the decisions that they made were what helped me recover so fully.

Now, recently promoted, David is back at work, he got married a few weeks ago and is fitter than he ever was. “I got my life back and I’m looking forward to the future. At the time, I don’t think I fully took in how serious my injury was. Now that I’m on the other side and understand just how critical it was, I’m very keen to fundraise for King’s College Hospital Charity to remind myself how lucky I was to receive the care I did. Running the London Landmarks Half Marathon seemed the ideal opportunity to give something back and say thank you. 

I was so lucky to end up at King’s – 100% that’s what saved me, my dad agrees. I’m indebted to King’s and all the staff who cared for me.

 

The 2023 London Landmarks Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 2 April. With a fabulous route that takes in some of the best views and attractions in London, this iconic half marathon also has musical performances, DJs, dancers, themed cheer stations and more! Runners like David are raising vital funds to help us make the best care possible. With your support we can help people just like David who need expert care and treatment.

 

Fancy a challenge of your own? Join David at the London Landmarks Half Marathon - Register your interest to run today! 

RUN THE LLHM