Help Jacob on his recovery journey

Our little brother Jacob (aged 16)  had a serious accident on the 9th of August  which left him with a life threatening head injury in the ICU at Newcastle RVI. After emergency surgery he was stable but left with some brain damage. He remained in an induced coma for around a week before they slowly lifted the medications and brought him back into consciousness. In the past weeks Jacob has made incredible progress and may be able to come home soon while he waits for his next surgery. We’re asking for any donations that can be afforded so we can adjust the house to meet his current needs, future possibilities and little things that add up like petrol (gas) money. 

Jacob has always been such a character, matching humour with a caring personality. Even now he’s in hospital, this was one of the first things that shone through. Before he could communicate with any words, he was making funny facial expressions at things we were saying. Jacob spent his free time  playing Rugby for Consett Rugby Club, and had only started back with training not long before his accident. He’s already talking about getting back to playing eventually, which shows how determined he is to recover.

When he did first begin to form words, he was moving a lot and a nurse asked what was wrong, Jacob managed to say “I want to go home”. We’re hopefully this could be a real possibility soon, but as he is currently unable to walk and requires assistance moving around there are quite a few adjustments that will need to be made. The bathroom will require a full renovation, with a walk in shower being one of the main things he’ll need. Railings around the house would be beneficial for when he begins to try and walk.  A room downstairs may need to be converted into his bedroom if the stairs pose a challenge.  Most days Jacob asks if he can come home and it would be amazing to be able to say yes! 

Our parents have always provided for our family and are reluctant to ask people to donate money, however this is just one of those unexpected things in life we could never have possibly accounted for. The house renovations will cost more than they can afford, and will provide more worry on top of the immense stress they have already been going through with their youngest hospitalised. We (his sisters) have made this in the hope that at least some of their problems can be eliminated, and would be so grateful for any amount given. Please read on if you would like to hear more about Jacobs story.

Jacob was out with his friends when he fell through the roof of a derelict building*, roughly 20 feet onto concrete flooring. Luckily his friends reacted amazingly, contacting one of their parents that called in the air ambulance immediately. Their quick instincts along with the first responders’ saved Jacobs life. At the RVI we were informed that Jacob had suffered a fractured skull, shattered pelvis, broken the bottom of his spine and multiple ribs, punctured both lungs, tore his kidney and bruised his liver. He was taken up to the intensive care unit, and a bolt was inserted into his skull to monitor the pressure inside. The pressure from his swollen brain was far higher than they had hoped, and despite their efforts could not be lowered. The only solution left was surgery, where Jacob had a large section of his skull removed to allow the pressure to be released. He was kept in an induced coma over the next few days to allow the swelling of his brain to decrease, and to avoid any movement damaging his pelvis further. Extensive bruising was found on the left side of his brain and we were told there would definitely be some form of brain damage, although there was no telling at this stage how it would present itself. 

As the medication was adjusted and Jacob began to wake up he started responding to sounds and over the days, able to respond to some instructions and make facial expressions. However he was unable to form any words, and struggled to hold the weight of his head up. The focus has been on his head as after further scans and consultations, the doctors believe that because of the way his pelvis and lower back broke, they will heal themselves.

After a few more days he was moved into the children’s unit. Here he has begun to make incredible progress, from one day able to form a key word here and there, to the next forming sentences. Now, 5 weeks from his accident, he can hold short, simple conversations. However his speech is at times still slurred and he struggles with finding certain words in his head and has some short term memory struggles. The road to recovery is going to be long and hard, but Jacob is staying positive and giving it his all everyday. Everyday he has physio which has moved from the basics of catching and throwing a ball, to taking some steps while supported. This is tiring and difficult, but Jacob’s determined to succeed. He’s been a member of the local rugby team for a long time so hopefully being used to an active life means a greater chance at recovery and learning to walk. 

The next stage for Jacob will be having a metal plate fitted in his head which will protect his brain. This is unlikely to happen until after Christmas. Naturally he is desperate to get back to his home where he’ll feel more comfortable, but these adaptations need to happen so he can also be safe. In terms of planning for the future, a tutor will be needed as Jacob was due to start his first year of sixth form last week. Obviously he will not be attending for now, and due to his struggles with memory and word connection may not be ready to attend for some time. While the hospital has a tutor their focus is on the younger children so they can’t commit to helping Jacob. 

As things are constantly changing with Jacob it’s hard to pinpoint exactly everything that is going to be needed during his recovery process. We’ve chosen to set a goal amount of £8,000 as the bathroom will likely cost £3000-£5,000 and this leaves a bit of money for bedroom and extra house adaptations, a tutor and things like the cost of driving to and from the hospital regularly, along with anything else Jacob may require along the way.  We understand that these are difficult times for everybody and only ask that you consider donating what you can to help Jacob. We’ll post updates so you can check in on his progress! Please help us to share and reach as many people as possible. 

If you would like to include a message to Jacob alongside your donation we will happily share these with him. Like I said he is mostly positive, but as anybody would be, he’s quite self conscious about the way his head now looks due to the removed skull section. He knows how lucky he is but some reminders of what an amazing job he is doing at recovering wouldn’t go amiss! Due to corona and the safety precautions taken at the hospital, our parents have been the only people able to regularly see Jacob. With the new North East lockdown rules, they are now the only people able to visit him in hospital. Any support you can afford to Jacob be this money or words of encouragement are much appreciated! 

*Due to ongoing legal proceedings we are unable to disclose further information about the location of the accident at this time