A man who learnt to walk and run again after suffering a head injury will run the Brighton Half Marathon while juggling this weekend.
IT consultant Kevin Williams suffered Aquired Brain Injury when he slipped at a friend’s house in 2009 and could not walk, read or remember his name after waking from an induced three-and-a-half-week coma.
“I was completely lost. Not only did I not know where I was, I didn’t know what I was,” said Mr Williams.
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He slowly regained the ability to walk but could barely communicate or remember friends and family so an orderly was posted outside his room in case he tried to escape from Hurstwood Park Neurosciences Centre in Haywards Heath.
Despite his memory problems he remained capable of using computer programming languages and the turning point came when a friend brought him his juggling balls, hoping they would jog his memory.
“Juggling was the only thing I could do in the early days, although at first I hardly recognised the balls,” he said.
Now Mr Williams is training for what he calls a Jogglathon and will run on Sunday in preparation for completing the full 26-mile marathon on April 6, juggling the entire time.
The 35-year-old, who lives in Bembridge Street, Brighton, is looking for sponsors to raise money for Headway Hurstwood Park, the charity which sent therapists to help him regain his language, teach him to cook and look after himself as well as helping him get back to work.
Mr Williams said: “I’m certainly getting back on track, and a lot of that is thanks to Headway. They gave me my brain back.
“Unfortunately what happened to me will happen to other people and when it does I want the people around them to know recovery is possible.”
Headway Hurstwood Park works throughout East Sussex to support survivors of ABI.
Tracey Luker, fundraising manager, said: “As with many charities, Headway Hurstwood Park has been affected by recent statutory funding cuts and therefore we have needed to increase our fundraising activities.
“We are extremely grateful to our team of runners, including Kevin, in the forthcoming Brighton Marathon, who through sponsorship will be raising much needed funds to ensure Headway Hurstwood Park continues to provide vital services.”
Visit www.jogglathon.co.uk to make a donation.
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