'My eyes were swollen out of my head'

Harvey Trout, a keen Nottingham Forest fan, had been to a match just before his accident

A freak accident would change Harvey Trout's life.

The avid Nottingham Forest fan had been to a match with friends when he tripped and fell, hitting his head on the road.

He suffered a life-changing head injury and spent seven weeks in rehabilitation, where therapists helped him regain enough mobility and speech to return home.

"They have taught me how to cope with what I have and how to manage it," he said, as he thanked the team who helped him regain his independence.

'Touch and go'

Mr Trout suffered multiple neck fractures in the fall in May 2023.

He is telling his story to mark a year of campaigning started by National Occupational Therapists Week.

The 60-year-old, of Nottingham, said it was "touch and go" as to whether he would survive.

“I was out of it and my eyes were swollen out of my head.

"The doctors thought I would have sight loss or be blind, and that I would be in a wheelchair.

"You can't believe a fall like that would cause so much damage," he said.

Occupational therapist Anna Marshall said their work covered social, domestic and work activities

Mr Trout spent several weeks in the major trauma ward before being moved to Linden Lodge at City Hospital.

Over seven weeks, the occupational therapist (OT) team worked towards Mr Trout relearning basic skills or adapting tasks.

This included accompanying him to catch a bus, navigate to a shop, select ingredients for a meal in line with a £5 budget, and then cook the meal back at Linden Lodge.

He said: "They were fantastic. I still have days when I am fuzzy and exhausted, but without the OTs my life wouldn't be what it is today.

"They have taught me how to cope with what I have and how to manage it."

Anna Marshall, senior rehabilitation therapist at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) Trust, said: "When OTs talk about 'occupations', we don't just mean employment or jobs, we mean everyday tasks and life roles which add meaning and purpose to our patients' lives.

"This can be as simple as brushing their teeth, dressing themselves, making themselves a hot drink, or further along in their recovery it could be returning to work, re-establishing hobbies or leaving the house to meet a friend."

Next summer, the rehabilitation unit will move from Linden Lodge to the National Rehabilitation Centre near Loughborough.