Niall Harris was paralysed in a mountain biking accident (Picture: Niall Harris/Opera Bed)
A man who was told he had been fully paralysed from the shoulders down after landing on his head in a bike crash has defied the odds by standing up by himself.
Niall Harris, from Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, was mountain biking when he went over his handlebars and seriously hurt his spine three years ago.
The injury was so bad, doctors feared he might be on a ventilator for life and not regain any movement.
But after nine months in hospital, followed by seven months in a nursing home, Niall has moved into his own home, is working with children with additional needs and is raising awareness of spinal cord injuries.
The 41-year-old, a former rock climbing instructor and outdoor education professional, said a key moment in his recovery journey was standing up unaided during his first visit from a neuro-physiotherapist.
‘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.’
Doctors feared Niall might never regain movement, but he can now stand up (Picture: Niall Harris/Opera Bed)
He was very active before the accident (Picture: Niall Harris/Opera Bed)
‘Now I can eat and drink from a table with my adaptive equipment.’
To cover the cost of the wide-ranging equipment he needs to live as independently as possible, Niall has been raising money on JustGiving. His initial target was £10,000 but family, friends and strangers rallied round to raise almost £27,000.
One of his favourite purchases with the money is his Trekinetic all-terrain power chair.
‘It’s a game-changer,’ he said. ‘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 41-year-old advised others in his situation not to ‘hide away’ (Picture: Niall Harris/Opera Bed)
Meanwhile, the Matt Hampson Foundation, which supports people living with life-changing circumstances after an injury, organised for Opera Beds to install a specialist profiling care bed into his home.
Niall said he particularly likes the fact the adaptive bed is stylish and could pass for a regular bed.
‘I go in there and think, ‘Aw, my bedroom looks nice now’ – it doesn’t look like a care bed at all and now I don’t feel like I’m in a hospital at home.’
Niall has been working with the foundation, which was named after its paralysed ex-rugby player founder, to raise awareness of spinal cord injuries and hopes to carry on this work in the future.
Before his accident Niall could often be found hiking, rock climbing, skiing, cycling and running, and it seems his adventuring days aren’t over just yet.
He used to work as a climbing instructor (Picture: Niall Harris/Opera Bed)
Niall with his specialist profiling care bed from Opera Beds (Picture: Niall Harris/Opera Bed)
‘It’s great having people to raise money for you but I also want to give something back, so I’ve been thinking about doing a sponsored abseil for the foundation and Spinal Injuries Scotland.
‘I’ve been trying to raise awareness on my Instagram page and keep it light-hearted and sure, there are times when things are going to be rubbish, but if you want to enjoy life you’ve just got to keep cracking on.
‘If I could give advice to anyone in a similar position to me I’d say don’t hide away, get back out there and don’t be ashamed.
‘I think some people are embarrassed about all the things that come with this – like your bowel control or your bladder control – but if you have a mishap, then it’s fine. It’s just part of it.
‘I think if I could show other people that, it’s a good thing.’
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Doctors thought he might be on a ventilator for the rest of his life.