From unlikely survival to London Marathon
Nick Fletcher wants to give something back by fundraising for the Headway charity
In March 2013 Nick Fletcher, who played blind-side flanker at London Cornish, was moving into a new flat near Clapham Junction when a telegraph pole blew over in the wind smashing his skull.
Believed unlikely to survive his first night, he is now about to run the London Marathon with a neurosurgeon at St George’s Hospital and a school and university friend, fundraising for the Headway charity.
“Rugby was my absolute passion,” he says. “I played at Old Caterhamians and Southampton University before moving to London to play for London Cornish. I was moving stuff into my flat on a very blustery day when a rotten telegraph pole blew over, smashing my skull to pieces and leaving me for dead on the pavement.
In a deep coma
“I was lucky in that an off-duty fireman and passing pedestrian kept me alive until the ambulance arrived. Fortunately, I was near St George’s Hospital with a renowned team of neurosurgeons led by Henry Marsh CBE. They removed a third of my skull to allow the severe brain swelling to subside while placing me in an induced deep coma for a few weeks.
“Family and friends were told I was highly unlikely to survive that first night and even if I did, I could be a drastically different person. I survived several operations, a heavy bout of pole dust related pneumonia and later rehab. After waking up I saw my then girlfriend Laura who I’d only been going out with for a few months. Even told I was likely to be very changed, she stayed by my side throughout. We are now very happily married with a two-year-old daughter Allegra.
“I spent about three months in hospital before recovering at the home of my parents, Anne and Philip. They, my family and friends had it made very clear by the surgeons that there was little hope of me surviving but with the help of the hospital team and the neurophysios I made an amazing recovery.
Giving something back
“I had taken on a new role in ship brokering with ICAP (now Howe Robinson) a few months before the accident and they were so supportive even though it was highly uncertain I would be able to return. I did eventually and they allowed me to work my way back as slowly as I needed to. They’ve been amazing.
“Now, after nearly a decade, and with those two original passers by who kept me alive still in contact with my parents, I want to run the London Marathon to give something back. I’m fortunate to be happy and healthy and would love to help Headway as much as I can. The charity helps people with traumatic brain injuries once they leave hospital and are so instrumental in helping people like me get back to their former selves through rigorous rehab programmes. They also help to support our families.
“I’m running with Nav Singh who is currently a neurosurgeon at St George’s that I met through NCT when we were expecting babies and with Kieren Unwin, an old school and uni friend, who also ran the Marathon Des Sables raising funds for a research unit at St George’s, having seen how they saved my life.”
You can visit Nick’s just giving page here.
