Father in crash coma wakes after first visit from his newborn son
Charlene, who has a daughter Jaya, eight, from a previous relationship, spent 10 hours a day at his bedside.
She said: “Every chance I got I went over to see James. They never told me how critically ill he was until afterwards because of how heavily pregnant I was.
“They played it down and kept telling me he was stable.
“But it was tough on all of us. I would be there from 10am until 8pm and my daughter spent a lot of time staying with my mum.”
Charlene gave birth to Carter at 2am on August 8 and took him to meet his father at 3pm that afternoon.
She said: “For the first week or so James had slight amnesia and he was really unsteady on his feet. But he was allowed home on September 1 and by November had returned to work at Euro Car Parts in Avonmouth.
“He’s pretty much back to normal now and we’re like a family again. I’m so grateful to the staff who worked so hard Charlene with Carter at James’s bedside to save him.Owing to them, we have a brilliant future to look forward to.”
Ben Walton, of North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “An important part of rehabilitation for major trauma patients is regular communication and contact with loved ones.
“James’s remarkable recovery was not only down to the fantastic care he received here at Southmead Hospital but also regular visits and encouragement from his partner Charlene and their son.”