A man who was left almost completely paralysed from the shoulders down after a mountain biking accident says he was blown away when he stood up by himself for the first time. After the incident almost three years ago Niall Harris, 41, endured a nine-month stay in hospital and a further seven-month discharge to a nursing home - dreaming of the day he could once again eat unaided.
And the outdoor enthusiast is happy to share his journey to regaining movement has seen him do just that - as well as move into his own home and return to work in a school - things he and doctors feared may never again be possible. Niall obtained a high-level spinal cord injury after taking a tumble on his bike and landing on his head, in August 2020.
The public raised almost £27,000 for Niall - who wants to thank people and share how the funds have helped his progress. And he’s even setting his sights on a charity abseil to give back.
Niall said: “At the time of the accident, specialists told me I was almost fully paralysed from the shoulders down and that it was likely I would be for life, but the goal posts have totally shifted over time, which is really positive. It’s not permanent at the moment but I've since returned to work, working with children who need additional learning support.
"We’re still working through getting the adaptations put in place so I can work more, but it’s a positive thing which has brought some normality back into my life.” This is a significant step for Niall, having previously worked as a climbing instructor and an outdoor education professional at a public school in Edinburgh.
Fuelled by a love of nature, you’d often find him exploring the hills of Scotland or rock climbing, skiing and running - using his campervan to relax during downtime. But that all changed when he went over the handlebars of his bike at the Caddon Bank Mountain Biking Trail, in Innerleithen.
He says immediately, he knew things were bad when his feet flipped up into the air and he felt a strange sense of ‘disconnection’ in his body as he lay on the ground, surrounded by his friends. After he began specialist rehabilitation treatment, Niall was determined to not give up hope.
And while he still has progress to make, his situation is a far cry from the time doctors feared he might be on ventilation for life without regaining movement. He said: “Lying in bed for seven months didn't really give me much of an opportunity to recover, so the key stage really was when I left the nursing home, I’ve now moved into my own home.
“With some funding I got a neuro physiotherapist to come in once a week and from there my progression just kicked off. I realised then the potential that was there, and I had much more hope.
“I remember the first thing Katie, my physio, said after looking at me was, ‘right, we're going to stand up now’ - and she got me to stand up from my chair. I was just blown away completely.
"It kind of threw me off for a while but it was the start of something special. I’d already been able to curl a toe, push my leg and lift an arm on the right side of my body by that point, and then it gradually started happening on my left side to the point where my muscles were strong enough to push myself up with my legs and lean forward in my chair.
“Now I can eat and drink from a table with my adaptive equipment.” Niall has also been able to achieve two more goals: getting an all-terrain wheelchair and a specialist profiling care bed, both of which make his life much easier.
He was able to buy the chair, as well as multiple pieces of adaptive equipment, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the public. A JustGiving page set up by loved ones to help him raised almost £27,000 after an initial goal of £10,000, at the time of the accident - something Niall is entirely grateful for.
Earlier this year, Opera Beds installed a specialist profiling care bed into Niall’s home, thanks to the Matt Hampson Foundation. Named after founder and ex-Rugby player Matt Hampson OBE, it supports individuals living with life-changing circumstances after an accident or injury.
Matt put Niall in touch with the bed retailer, knowing that a specialist bed would impact Niall’s mental health and physical capabilities positively. Niall said: “Now I use a Trekinetic all-terrain power chair which is joystick-operated but can also be used manually.
“It's the one I got thanks to the funds raised and it's a game changer - especially when you live somewhere like Leith, in an old part of town where there's just cobbles everywhere and precipitous drops of pavements. It just smooths everything out and works on different terrains which is great for me because I love the outdoors.
“But the best thing about it is the first thing people see is me, not my wheelchair, because my old one made me look like I was sitting in scaffolding.”
The new profiling care bed has not only helped Niall engage with assistance from carers but has also made his home feel more comfortable and stylish - something which has positively impacted his mindset.
Having come on so far in such a short space of time, Niall is now looking to the future. He plans to continue working with Matt Hampson Foundation and continue to raise awareness of spinal cord injuries - with more adventuring days still ahead of him.
