A man who suffered life-changing injuries when he fell more than 30ft from the upper promenade in Brighton has met some of the clinicians who gave him life-saving treatment and helped his early recovery.
Noah Rees was 18 and about to sit his A-level exams at Cardinal Newman, in Hove, when he fell over the railings near the Fortune of War pub, on Brighton seafront, in May 2019.
He suffered a fractured skull and spine, brain injuries and damage to both lungs. He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, run by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust.
Mr Rees, now 25, spent about six weeks in a coma in intensive care before being transferred to the care of the neurosurgery team who gave him the support that helped him start on the road to recovery.
Before his fall, Mr Rees, from Peacehaven, had captained Newman at rugby and led his team to become national champions. He had hoped to become a professional rugby player.
But as he lay in a coma. it was not certain that he would ever be able to walk or talk again but, seven years on, Mr Rees has made huge strides.
Not only can he walk, talk and eat, but Mr Rees has gone on to pursue several passions and is actively engaged in competitive frame running. He is now training to qualify for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
This week, he took time out from his training schedule to return to the Royal Sussex to meet the hospital director, Stephen Mardlin, and clinicians from the neurosurgery and critical care teams who cared for him.
Mr Rees said: “It was amazing to meet some of the clinicians who saved my life and cared for me when I needed it most.
“I’ve wanted to thank them properly for everything they did for me although I don’t think I could ever thank them enough.
“By the end of the visit, I had to say I’d better go before I started crying – it was a really lovely, life affirming and also an emotional moment.”
Mr Rees was given a tour of several parts of the hospital, including critical care, neurosurgery, the sanctuary prayer and reflection space and the hospital’s helipad.
On the neurosurgery ward, Junior Sister Claire Frampton met Mr Rees. She said: “It was so special to see Noah again and to see just how far he has come since we cared for him all those years ago.
“When Noah came to us, he was still seriously unwell and unable to speak but we felt he was trying to communicate with us.
“Even at such a difficult point in his recovery, we could see his personality coming through and I remember his amazing sense of humour beginning to show.
“What also really stood out was his determination to recover. To see him back here seven years later, having regained so much of his independence and now competing in sport and working towards such an ambitious goal, is wonderful.”
While receiving care on the neurosurgery ward, Mr Rees made significant first steps in his recovery, including being able to start eating again, before leaving Brighton for further specialist rehabilitation in Putney.
After lots of hard work, training and rehabilitation over the months and years since, Mr Rees started to compete in frame running for Lewes Athletic Club – and he has now set his sights on the Paralympics.
Mr Rees said: “As a result of all the work I’ve put into my recovery, I’ve been able to get back into sport and start training in frame running.
“That has been incredibly liberating for me. Having that independence and something I can work towards means a huge amount.
“I know I’ve still got a lot of work to do to get to the Paralympics but it’s great to have something to aim for.
“I think everyone needs something they’re passionate about to work towards in life – and that’s what sport has become for me.”
Mr Rees has made huge progress in frame running. He shaved around 15 seconds off his personal best in his first year of training and improved by a further five seconds in years two and three.
He now needs to cut just 2.5 seconds from his personal best to put him in contention for the Paralympic Games in 2028. He remains grateful, upbeat and determined.
Why have the council not been prosecuted and the railings restored?
There is so much build-up of tarmac on the upper level that the guarding handrail height around the West Pier is incredibly low, and there are regulations for required handrail heights that have been totally ignored.
Even after this, nothing has been done.
The council cannot think beyond just applying yet another layer of tarmac, completely ignoring the consequences. Someone at the council needs to be held responsible.
There is some partly damaged cheap version of herras fencing there just now. But it remains obviously too low.
Same with drainholes and iron lids on the roads, they tarmac around them making deeper holes where the lids are.
At some point in your life, you must become responsible for it. Unfortunately this kid failed at that. How many have gone over the railings since?? Not a lot. Stupid people cost a lot.
At some time in the future the railings will be nothing more than a trip hazard before a 30 foot drop. At what point is it reasonable to expect a solution?