I DIDN’T THINK I WOULD SEE MY FRIEND AGAIN
Helena seeks to meet pony again after fall
HELENA WILKINSON woke up from a coma not knowing where she was or what had happened to her. She didn’t even know her own name. “Basics of life were cruelly stripped away,” said Helena.
But the fact she could consider her situation at all was a blessing – things could have been much worse, fatal even.
Two years ago, equine therapist Helena, 57, from Reynoldston, suffered a life-changing accident – a fall from a pony, which left her with a severe brain injury.
The accident took place after her pony, Sweetie, panicked on a quiet walk among a small group of friends in July 2019. The pony bucked Helena off and she landed on solid concrete, instantly being knocked unconscious and causing multiple fractures to her spine, pelvis and shoulder.
With her at the time, on a holiday visit to the Gower, was Rachel Kiley, previously a client of Helena’s, who had developed a close friendship built over 20 years.
“It was terrifying, I did not know where I was and had to co-ordinate with the air ambulance. I had to ensure Helena’s airways were open the entire time,” said Rachel.
Upon arriving, the air ambulance doctor found Helena’s left pupil was “fixed and dilated”, a direct result of serious bleeding within her brain. She was placed into an induced coma at the accident site in order to protect her, then flown to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where she spent three weeks in the intensive care unit.
“I honestly thought when the helicopter left, I wasn’t going to see my friend again. Afterwards I just completely fell apart, she has been such a key figure in my own life,” added Rachel, who lives in Eastbourne. “I was left on my own as the horses we were with had to be escorted home.”
Helena had a hole drilled within her head in order to help release pressure of bleeding on her brain: “The first couple of weeks were critical, it was nasty and it could have gone either way, they did know the extent of damage that was caused,” said Rachel.
Upon waking from the coma, it was found Helena had suffered from Post Traumatic Amnesia lasting for around eight weeks, which meant she had no memory of the accident. She would then go on to spend seven months in the neurological rehabilitation unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital where she would begin her road to recovery.
She had intensive therapy in every area in order to regain mobility and rebuild her physical skills and strength. The brain injury had severely affected her cognitive functions alongside her vision.
“People didn’t expect me to live and if I did they thought I would have been a vegetable,” said Helena.
The psychotherapist, who specialises in eating disorders, had to relearn most aspects of life with learning to walk, eat, talk and go to the toilet all over again.
“I didn’t know what had happened, where I was or even what my name was,” said Helena. “Days were very slow and I could do little. I needed to sleep a lot during the day, then the pandemic hit and a lot of my help was cut. The basics in life were a daily challenge. However, I am a very determined person and put my mind to having various therapies to help me and I set daily exercises.”
Helena had transitioned into equine therapy prior to the accident, making use of Sweetie as a means of providing emotional and behavioural support to clients in need.
She is now on her own road to recovery to regain her independence after months spent in hospital and receives support from friends alongside home care in her residence in Reynoldston, Gower.
Rachel has since started a fundraiser to enable Sweetie to return closer to her Gower home so Helena can continue her journey to recovery.
“We made the decision to move the pony to Devon when Helena was in hospital. I was travelling from Eastbourne to Wales every month, it was difficult and we wanted to continue Sweetie being used as a therapy pony,” said Rachel.
The funds are aimed at reuniting Helena with Sweetie, not only as a means of therapy but also as a means for the equine therapist to strive for more independence.
“Helena’s whole life has been poured into helping people and she is desperate to get back into doing what she loves. People have shared their support and stories of her helping them overcoming their own issues, people are more than willing to give back,” added Rachel.
“We have come full circle: she has helped me and many others in our lives and it’s great to give back this to her and help her. She’s one of the most determined people I have met. We would love for Sweetie to be home soon.”
■ If you would like to support Helena’s journey then go to the fundraising website at https://uk. gofundme.com/f/help-for-helenato-bring-sweetie-back-home