It was during a rugby match in December 2025 that my son Harry suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury, aged just 21. A tackle caused a burst fracture to his C5 vertebrae, and he was taken immediately to the critical care unit at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.
Before we were even admitted to the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, we were shown around in preparation for the next stage of Harry’s recovery. It was here that we first discovered Horatio’s Garden. I was immediately overcome with emotion at what a wonderful space it was.
During Harry’s time at the centre, the garden became an integral part of his recovery and played a central role in our whole family’s experience. To know that we could all spend time together in the garden, away from a clinical setting, felt incredibly important and deeply needed.
Before this, I had no idea how significant a space like Horatio’s Garden could be for someone’s recovery following a traumatic injury.
The garden offered peace, solace, distraction and hope, and has been designed with such thought and care. As a mum, I often used the garden to sit quietly and reflect on my son’s recovery. At the same time, the garden was a sociable place, and I could easily find other people to chat to if I needed it. It brought everyone together beautifully and often helped to lift my mood.
I enjoyed watching the garden change as winter turned to spring and all the colours came to life. The volunteers were brilliant at sharing their knowledge, with me as someone who knew nothing about gardens and helping me understand how it all worked and what plants to look out for.
You might not think that a landscaped garden would appeal to a 21-year-old rugby player, but it became Harry’s place of choice to host family and friends that came to visit. He regularly spent time in the garden room and more private pod space with friends. As a family, we proudly shared the story behind the garden and would tell everyone who visited about how much we enjoyed spending our time in it. It was a place in which we couldn’t help but feel better about life.
I will never forget Horatio’s Garden, and the tribute it pays to Horatio’s vision of beautiful outdoor spaces for people with spinal injuries. It gave our family an opportunity to experience a wonderful, peaceful environment during the most traumatic time of our lives.