My name is Russell and I’m a GP. I’ve been a doctor for 41 years and unfortunately, about 14 weeks ago, I tripped up in my garden and I broke my neck. That caused a fracture at C34, which fortunately for me is incomplete, so I can still move my arms and my legs. I’m hoping to walk eventually.
It’s been very hard work since I arrived – the physio is extremely arduous and a lot of the time, it’s very boring here. However, we’ve got this beautiful garden in the square and then we’ve got this fabulous woodland garden too. That has really just been something that’s kept me sane whilst I’ve been here. I love the flowers – the hydrangeas are beautiful in the woodland garden and the crocosmia in the square are absolutely stunning. I just love the garden and it makes the whole experience of being in hospital so much more bearable.
As part of our hand therapy, we went down to the woodland garden and we did some seed planting. I planted some Tagetes (marigolds), and we just put them all in a planter this morning. It was really gratifying to see my own work going into a display. I’m a very keen gardener, so it’s all been great fun!
The garden is so beautiful. The upper garden is more sociable, there’s more people here, there’s the little pods you can sit in and have a cup of tea with your relatives, or your friends, or your visitors. It really lifts your mood, and I love seeing all the stunning plants that are here.
I particularly love the woodland garden, where you can wheel your wheelchair all the way through the garden and back again. It just gives you such a boost to see all these lovely flowers and the weather has been so nice recently too. One of the things I really like about this part of the garden is that when I was in a ward shared with other patients, I could come out here and talk to my wife with some privacy. It’s just fantastic and it keeps your sanity when you’re in hospital. Being in the garden is different, totally different. It just lifts you completely.
I’ll always remember the garden and it’s given me some great ideas for things I’d like to plant in my own garden at home, which will remind me of being back here in the garden. It’s just lovely.
We’re sharing Russell’s story to mark Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day 2025. You can watch Russell sharing his story here.
