{"id":1503,"date":"2025-04-20T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=1503"},"modified":"2025-04-22T11:57:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T11:57:29","slug":"i-was-found-unconscious-20-years-on-i-still-dont-know-what-happened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/20\/i-was-found-unconscious-20-years-on-i-still-dont-know-what-happened\/","title":{"rendered":"I was found unconscious \u2013 20 years on, I still don\u2019t know what happened"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Adam\t<\/div>
I have no recollection of any injury, collapsing, or the subsequent treatment (Picture: Chris Read-Jones)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Staring at myself\u202fin the mirror, I could hardly believe what my eyes were seeing. <\/p>\n

Half of my short, black head of hair had been shaved off and in its place was a large, stitched up wound that stretched right across my head<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Until that point it\u202fhad felt like any other morning, but it was only now that I realised where I was: The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.  <\/p>\n

As I slowly took in my surroundings I felt confused, shocked and scared. What had happened? Why was I here?<\/em><\/p>\n

By the time I made it back to my bed, it was surrounded by people I didn\u2019t recognise<\/a> \u2013 it turns out they were members of my immediate family. And then I learned the truth\u2026 <\/p>\n

Aged just 15 I suffered a major brain trauma<\/a> and was\u202fin a coma for several days. And that would change my life, forever. <\/p>\n

While I have no recollection of any injury, collapsing, or the subsequent treatment, over the years and with the help of different friends and family accounts, I have slowly been able\u202fto piece together what happened.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Adam\t<\/div>
A slew of\u202ftests showed I had multiple clots on the brain (Picture: Adam Kirchin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It all happened back in December 2005. I\u2019d been out shopping with my mum and aunt when suddenly\u202fI collapsed out of nowhere.<\/p>\n

At the time of my collapse, I was alone as I\u2019d gone into a different shop to my family. As I\u2019d been away for some time, they came to look for me and the first thing they saw as they came around the corner, were my legs on the floor.  <\/p>\n

No one knew what had happened in the moments before that because I had fallen, in what security called a \u2018CCTV blind spot\u2019. All they could do was call for help. My poor mum just sat there waiting with me for help to come.  <\/p>\n

From there, I was immediately taken to hospital, where I\u2019m told a slew of\u202ftests showed I had multiple clots on the brain<\/a> as well as a fractured skull. However, no one was able to\u202fdetermine whether I\u2019d been born with the former, or whether I had sustained them\u202ffrom all the contact sports I did. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Adam\t<\/div>
They\u2019d been unable to determine what had caused my brain injury (Picture: Adam Kirchin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After all, up until then, I\u2019d been your typical, healthy teenage boy. I even had a glittering football career ahead of me.<\/p>\n

But now that I\u2019d woken up from the coma, and discovered the scar on my scalp from where surgeons had removed the blood clots, my healthcare team advised that the best course of action was for me to stop playing football. <\/p>\n

Since they\u2019d been unable to determine what had caused my brain injury, they wanted to lessen the chance of me knocking my head \u2013 they were uncertain whether I would be as lucky to survive another injury.<\/p>\n

So just like that, my hopes for a football career ended<\/a>. I was devastated \u2013 football had been my life. <\/p>\n

In the weeks and months that followed I was then forced not only to come to terms with that, but also that I\u2019d been left with huge memory gaps. To this day, I can barely remember much of that year when the injury happened.  <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Adam\t<\/div>
With help from my therapist I came to realise that my life was not over (Picture: Adam Kirchin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\tNeed support?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans<\/a> 24-hour helpline on 116 123<\/strong>, email jo@samaritans.org<\/a>, visit a Samaritans branch in person<\/a> or go to the Samaritans website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Their HOPELINE247 <\/a>is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

I was left\u202fwith self-loathing, depression and hopelessness. <\/p>\n

Sadly, <\/strong>this eventually led to suicidal ideation. The side effects of the injury left me in daily pain and it was overwhelming. I started to think that things would be a lot easier if I was no longer around. <\/p>\n

I struggled with feeling like this right up <\/strong>until 2018, when I finally sought mental health therapy at age 28 \u2013 I was at breaking point.<\/p>\n

I had experienced a physical injury, but I hadn\u2019t realised just how much the trauma of the incident and the aftermath had impacted my mental health<\/a>. Not one healthcare professional had suggested I seek support and back then \u2013 society just wasn\u2019t as open about mental illness as we are now.<\/p>\n

With help from my therapist I came to realise that my life was not over, I just had to learn to accept the new version of it. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Adam\t<\/div>
Though I had started to feel happy again,\u202fI knew deep down I was still lacking purpose (Picture: Adam Kirchin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Slowly and surely, I got through it. The people in my life and my therapist reminded me that I had survived \u2013 I was still here and life is for living.  <\/p>\n

And sure, I might not be able to play anymore, but I could still immerse myself in the\u202ffootballing world\u202fby watching or\u202fcoaching.\u202f  <\/p>\n

Though I had started to feel happy again,\u202fI knew deep down I was still lacking purpose. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s when a friend suggested I apply for a job at the mental health charity St Andrew\u2019s Healthcare<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The organisation is dedicated to inspiring hope for individuals with complex mental health needs and at that time it was\u202flooking for a peer support worker to work with patients who have experienced a serious brain injury. <\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Adam\t<\/div>
I spend two days a week visiting a ward with patients who have also experienced brain injuries (Picture: Bobbie Kelly\/St Andrew\u2019s Healthcare)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Having spent most of my adolescence and early adulthood recovering from my own brain injury, I questioned whether I could do this role. But after deciding I had nothing to lose, I eventually went for it and got the job.<\/p>\n

The work I do is very rewarding. I spend two days a week visiting a ward with patients who have also experienced brain injuries. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s my job <\/strong>to support and coach them to achieve their full potential. We sit and chat about their concerns and worries and I try to be a beacon of hope to them. <\/p>\n

I am proof that after a head and brain injury, it is possible to still have a life and crack on with the things you enjoy, with some alterations. The patients have told me that seeing me up and about, working, dating and enjoying life gives them hope for their future.  <\/p>\n

It was like this job was made for me. I feel like I\u2019m making a real difference as I can truly relate; I wish there had been someone like me who I could have talked to. <\/p>\n

One patient I was working with had very long hair, and he confided in me that he wanted to get it cut, but he was worried his scar would be too visible.<\/p>\n

I told him that he should be proud of his scar<\/a> as it represents how he beat something that could have killed him. I told him that I wear my scar with pride, and that filled him with the confidence to get his hair cut. It was lovely to see him take pride in his appearance and no longer worry about what other people thought.<\/p>\n

The patients also inspire me. They are all fighters, doing what they need to do for a better future. It makes me want to do the same. <\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019ve learnt to accept the daily pain I experience and the headaches, which can vary in their level of severity. I still have regular scans and my medications continue to be an evolving process as my healthcare team tries out different prescriptions every few months to see which ones help the most. <\/p>\n

My injury is stable and I\u2019ve made peace with the fact that if it ever got worse, I know I\u2019ve lived a life I\u2019m fulfilled with.  <\/p>\n

I\u2019m no longer ashamed of my scars. Instead they serve as a reminder that I survived, that I\u2019m still here and able to live a happy, positive and meaningful life \u2013 with or without football.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have no recollection of any injury, collapsing, or the subsequent treatment (Picture: Chris Read-Jones) Staring at myself\u202fin the mirror, I could hardly believe what my eyes were seeing.  Half of my short, black head of hair had been shaved off and in its place was a large, stitched up wound that stretched right across […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1503"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1512,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503\/revisions\/1512"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}