Athlete's sight saved after baseball bat attack

Adam Harcombe's eye injuries meant he could not return to his career as an electrician, and has just started working part-time for his local council

The greatest emotion Adam Harcombe once felt was winning a game of rugby - now he says nothing beats being able to see again.

The former electrician was beaten by two men with a metal baseball bat in an unprovoked attack whilst walking a friend home from a night out.

The 29-year-old suffered catastrophic brain injuries and was left unable to walk, with his sight severely affected.

But "euphoric" Adam is now working to become a Paralympic athlete after surgeons helped him to see again.

Adam Harcombe needed help from friends to cut up his food after the unprovoked attack and had to learn to walk again

His story features in the BBC documentary series Saving Lives in Cardiff, which follows the work of surgeons at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW).

"Everyone takes walking, hearing and sight for granted but when you lose it, you realise how precious it is," Adam said.

"There were tears, I was so happy. Euphoric."

Adam played in the second tier of Welsh professional rugby union before the attack in September 2020 in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

"They gave me a hammering, hitting me with a metal baseball bat while I was on the floor unconscious," said Adam, a former Welsh Championship player with Ystrad Rhondda.

He was rushed by ambulance to UHW where he needed part of his skull removed due to severe swelling on his brain.

Adam suffered severe brain injuries and was in hospital for about six months after the attack

"I was told by the doctors I'd been beaten up badly which was a shock because I never used to fight," added Adam.

"I was in a hospital bed and in bad shape but I just wanted to get out of bed and walk. I begged the doctors but I collapsed straightaway. It was frightening.

"My left leg, hand, arm, everything on my left side of my body just shut down.

"Once I sat back on the bed I thought to myself 'right this is going to be the fight of your life Ad'."

While Adam's two attackers were sentenced to 16 years in prison between them, he needed help from his friends to cut up his food learn to walk again.

His eyesight was so badly damaged, he could not return to his career as an electrician.

"The doctors told me because I'd been struck to the right side of my brain, the left side of it had just shut down," said Adam from Trealaw, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Adam collapsed while trying to stand after the unprovoked baseball attack on him in September 2020

"That's when I realised, I'm not the man I was. I'd bang my left shoulder while walking because I couldn't see out of my left eye or I'd miss a glass when pouring a drink because my vision was so impaired."

After 10 eye operations - including a cornea transplant and glaucoma surgery - TV cameras followed him into his 11th operation in three years.

Before going into theatre, Adam's consultant ophthalmologist and the eye hospital's clinical director Magdalena Popiela tells the cameras: "The plan is to remove that cataract and replace it with a clear lens.

"The last few years Adam hasn't been able to see out of the eye at all.

"It's been a long process and I feel we're that step closer to getting him to see again, a huge thing for Adam."

Adam says surgeons like consultant ophthalmologist Magdelena Popiela saved him and he owes them a debt of gratitude

Ms Popiela told the documentary that the complex surgery carried a risk because of the trauma from the attack and the previous eye operations.

"If I do this surgery to make his vision better, I may make things worse because the graft may fail and he may need further surgery," she told the Saving Lives cameras.

The programme shows Adam removing his eye patch the day after the operation and his emotional reaction to it.

"I can see. It's perfect," he said.

"It's been so long but I sat on the settee at home and cried and thought 'I can see again'."

Adam, who volunteers at the hospital's neurosurgery ward talking to patients, wants to give back and has also set himself new sporting goals.

"My job title is 'patient befriender' so on Wednesdays I sit with those who are a bit lonely and want a chat," he said.

Adam says he loves giving back to the hospital that helped him so he volunteers once a week to talk to lonely patients who want a chat

"The hospital is amazing, it saves lives and I owe them a lot.”

Adam has his sights on representing Team GB at the Paralympics shotput and playing disability rugby for Wales.

He is already coaching rugby and playing walking rugby.

"My goals are getting bigger. If I could go on to play physical disability rugby for Wales that is my next target," said Adam, who recently came first in the Welsh Para Open Championships.

University Hospital of Wales' Consultant ophthalmologist Magdelena Popiela carried out Adam's cataract surgery on the BBC's Saving Lives in Cardiff documentary.

Adam was one of almost 2,000 people needing cataract surgery at Wales' biggest hospital, an operation where the waiting list is about two years.

"The current wait is too long, it shouldn't be like this," Ms Popiela told the Saving Lives cameras.

"The list is naturally growing because of demand and an ageing population. We'll never get to zero but hopefully we can improve waiting times."

• Episode Two of Saving Lives in Cardiff airs at 21:00 BST on Tuesday on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales and BBC Two.