You can plan for many things in life, but being seriously injured isn’t one of them. Our client Ainsley was involved in a road traffic collision at just 21 years old.
He suffered a spinal cord injury which meant he would need a wheelchair for the rest of his life. We asked Ainsley to reflect on the challenges and changes he had to cope with in the early days.
“When I realised the extent of my injury after the incident, I couldn’t believe what the doctors were telling me. Finding out I was paralysed was so hard to deal with, but in truth it was just the tip of the iceberg.
I remember in the early days of my injury, I felt so confused. What was I going to do from here? How did I even end up in this position? I didn’t want to speak to people. I was really struggling to comprehend how this had happened to me. Why me?
I had lots of questions that couldn’t be answered, but luckily I had a really a strong support network to keep me going and keep me positive. I’m so grateful for my family, my friends, and my fiancé Loz, I feel like we’ve all come through the injury together.
I had to learn to be a lot more organised to deal with the mental and physical impact of my injury. Simple things I took for granted I could no longer do, and that led to daily frustrations. I felt like a burden for Loz, who was there to support me day in, day out. She’s been amazing.
I quickly started to do a lot more planning around my everyday life to do things that would be considered normal. This could be getting dressed, going out or being able to do small things by myself. Everything was new and it took time, but I was determined to get my life back on track.
Early rehabilitation was so important to me and thanks to the interim payments my team at Irwin Mitchell secured for me, I was able to get the best support and care possible when I needed it most.
Going back to university to finish my degree in architecture and property development really helped. It gave me a purpose to get up, get out there, and do something rather than focusing on what had happened to me. This helped me get back into socialising and meeting new people.
If I was to give advice to someone in a similar situation, it would be to make sure you take the time you need to recover both physically and mentally. Once you’ve been through that process, you’ll realise there’s not a lot of things you can’t do because of your injury.
Just take your time; you’ll realise that everything will be okay.”
Ainsley’s looking forward to a brighter future
Ainsley’s progress is amazing to see and we’re so grateful to him for sharing his thoughts and feelings from a challenging part of his life. He’s since found freedom and happiness through taking part in disability sports such as rowing, archery, and athletics.
Ainsley is now looking forward to his future – after starting his degree in 2015, he’s due to graduate in September, and hopes to marry his fiancée, Loz, in 2022.
Cathy Leech in our Serious Injury team represented Ainsley during his claim. She summed up just how amazing he is: “Ainsley’s story is a prime example of the huge difference a serious injury makes to so many lives. He’s faced an incredibly difficult few years, but his determination is incredible. It’s been great to see him regain both his independence and confidence.”
Over the next 10 weeks, we’re sharing our seriously injured clients’ stories as they reflect on a particular part of their journey that’s made a big difference to them. Sign up to our email updates to follow their stories with us.
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