An accident during a normal morning at home changed everything. I’ve been a businessman all my life and as I headed downstairs to open the curtains before work, in the darkness I tripped over a footstool and hit my head on the sofa, injuring my neck. The emergency services took me straight to Sheffield Hospital, where my recovery journey began.
The treatment I’ve received has been first class, and everybody has worked hard on my rehab. When I arrived, all I could do was move my toes. Now I’ve got feeling from my toes right up to my head. With the help of the physios and occupational therapists, I can stand using a frame and walk, aided I hasten to add, about twenty metres. After more than seven months here, I’m absolutely delighted with my progress, and I couldn’t have asked for better care.
Coming through the doors from the main hospital into Horatio’s Garden and it’s what I can only describe as a tranquil oasis. You can spend time outside, you can sit and be quiet, you can join other patients for a chat, you can have a cup of tea or a biscuit. I sometimes sit down here and just reflect on my journey, from the accident to where I am now, to where I’m going.
None of that would have been possible without Horatio’s Garden. The colour around me is so uplifting, and I know that the garden makes me feel so much better. Riding around the flowerbeds, I think ‘Wow, what a wonderful place this is to be’. I listen to the birds sing and I’ve even heard an owl, right here, in the middle of an enormous city. I visit every day, sometimes briefly and sometimes for longer – it really is a tonic and an uplifting place to be.
I’m fortunate that my wife and two daughters visit most days, and the garden is where we can spend time together, as a family. My grandchildren are always excited to visit because they can run around the garden, explore the greenhouse and help the Head Gardener, Ruth, with the little jobs she gives them. I can’t tell you how good it feels for my wife, daughters and I to see their joy.
Ruth has also invited me into the greenhouse to do some gardening. With the encouragement and assistance of my two OTs, I’ve planted seeds, watered them and watched their progress over the following weeks. Although I’m not a gardener, I’m quite honestly amazed to see the growth of those little seeds that I managed to plant. Achieving that gave me a huge sense of satisfaction, and I’m looking forward to being invited back into the greenhouse.
In many ways, the garden mirrors the journey I’ve been on since my injury. I’ve seen it change from winter into spring, and in that time, I’ve progressed from having just a few toes moving to being able to move about. Visiting every day and just watching the plants grow from green shoots to colourful flowers alongside my own development has been uplifting and heartening.
Just before my accident, my wife and I had planned to sell our business and retire, so we could do some of the things we’d always dreamt about. The accident has changed our course for a little while, but we’ve still got plans for the future; it’s just going to take a little bit longer. This time in hospital and in Horatio’s Garden has made me appreciate what I’ve got around me, and I couldn’t have wanted for better care in a more beautiful place.