A MAN who suffered a brain injury as a child now has his eyes set on a future as a
musician.
Harry Davies was just 11-years-old when he was struck by a van as he cycled home
from school.
He suffered a serious brain injury that left him in a coma for two weeks but after
defying the odds he has recovered to lead an independent life.
Harry, now aged 21, hopes that by sharing his journey he can help end the stigma
around brain injuries.
He said: “Life is already delicate so there’s no point in wasting time being scared of
the life you have when you could be enjoying it instead.”
On 3 June 2013 Harry was cycling home from Pencaitland Primary School on the
B6363 near Haddington, East Lothian when he was a struck by a delivery van.
When paramedics arrived they found the schoolboy to be unresponsive – he was then
raced to the Royal Hospital for Sick Kids in Edinburgh.
Harry underwent emergency surgery to tackle a bleed on the brain – surgeons also
fitted a special bolt designed to relieve the pressure inside his skull.
It’s thought Harry’s cycling helmet was the only reason he survived.
He was then placed in a coma and woke up two weeks later on Father’s Day.
Harry’s dad, Nick, recalled the moment he first saw his son in hospital: “It’s
only in the past couple of years I’ve been table to talk about this without crying.
“When I first saw Harry he was wired up to machines and monitors…it was just
shocking.”
Harry, who now lives in Edinburgh and works as a barista, added: “I didn’t really
understand the severity of everything until a few months after I woke from the coma
when the specialists told me there was a real chance I could have died.
“The odds were something like a 75% chance of dying – talking about that now feels
weird when I think about how well my recovery has been.”
At the time, Harry’s physical recovery was described by rehab staff as “remarkable”
but he noticed that during his teenage years he was treated differently.
School staff insisted a minder walk with him in corridors and he was not allowed to
participate in sports or PE on the advice of medical staff.
However, this wasn’t a major issue because Harry’s passion was always music.
He added: “I play guitar and drums and I’ve always loved that but it’s in music
production where I hope to progress and something I’d very much like to get serious
about.
“It provides a great creative outlet for me, a bit therapeutic as well, but it’s definitely
more than a hobby and I’m already creating music and hope to build more projects
there.”
Nowadays, Harry feels his life is only impacted in two ways – he sometimes forgets
what he needs when going to the supermarket and TV subtitles help him concentrate
while watching a show.
Harry explained: “My friends, school and people outside my family were very
delicate with me for a long time during my teenage years.
“I had to tell them ‘Look, I’m fine – you don’t need to hover around me like I’m
made of glass.’
“Some people thought I was more outgoing as a child before the accident and then
after I was more withdrawn – but it’s impossible to say if that was because of the
crash or because it was normal teenage angst.
“I’m 6’5” with a scar on the side of my head, so I inevitably get questions
from people – so telling new people the story of my accident is the only time I feel
like I stop being ‘Harry’ and I’m forced to be ‘Harry the brain injury victim’.
“But each survivor is unique and each has their own story so it’s okay to ask survivors
if they need help but ask them what THEY need, respect their answer and let them
live their life.”
Dad Nick added: “There were times we did wonder if the Harry we have now is the
Harry he was always meant to be even without the crash?
“The way Harry recovered has been incredible and we are under no illusion with the
luck we have – he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash so when we think
about how much that helped as well it should offer an important reminder.
“Even the crash – Harry was hit on a rural road yet received immediate help from an
off-duty firefighter who happened to be passing and it turned out that firefighter just
had head injury refresher training the week before.
“The most important thing we can all do for brain injury survivors is to
not impose restrictions on them.
“Don’t tell them what they should or shouldn’t do unless there’s genuine medical
reasons.
“If you teach people how to be their own person, how to graft and how to not be a
victim then everyone has the capacity to crack on and thrive.”
Harry and Nick are set to give an inspirational talk at the 2023 Digby Brown Head
Injury Information Day in Edinburgh next week – an event that brings together the
brain injury community to network, share ideas and access support.
