Hannah

“Everyone at Hobbs has made a huge positive impact in my recovery.”

Prior to her injury, Hannah described herself as a ‘normal 25 year old’ who enjoyed a very colourful and lively life. She had recently moved out of her family home, relishing in living independently, and was often found either socialising with her friends, or at the horse stables. Horses were a major part of her childhood, having started riding when she was just six years old. From there, Hannah continued to ride horses to a high level, competing them to an intermediate/two-star level in eventing. Horse riding wasn’t the only sports Hannah excelled at, she was also a confident skier and snowboarder, having also started those at a young age.

Unfortunately, Hannah’s life changed in July of 2021. She was out galloping with one of the horses, at the horse racing yard that she worked at, when she unexpectedly fell off it on the way back into the yard. Landing backwards and hitting her head on the hard surface, she experienced a seizure episode. Her colleague, who was luckily around at the time, immediately placed her into the recovery position and called for an ambulance.

The trauma from the fall left her with no memory of the event, but shortly after the paramedics arrived, Hannah was placed into an induced coma due to a suspected brain bleed. She was then flown to Southmead Hospital in an air ambulance. Hannah was kept in a coma for two weeks, with a Subarachnoid Haemorrhage and shearing injury to the brain, and was then transferred to Royal United Hospitals at Bath.

The Neurological Multidisciplinary team at Bath Hospital played a crucial role in Hannah’s recovery, guiding her through the process of relearning how to walk and talk. Since she had been in an induced coma for such a long time, Hannah’s body had grown incredibly weak and she could only speak in whispers. The therapists at Bath encouraged her to regain her independence by tackling everyday tasks, such as making a cup of tea. However, her severe fatigue, combined with significant issues with balance and coordination, made even the simplest tasks a challenge. These difficulties took a toll on her confidence, leaving Hannah feeling frustrated and uncertain.

From 2021 to 2022, Hannah continued her recovery at Hobbs Rehabilitation’s Intensive Neurotherapy Centre in Bristol, funded by the Charity, Racing Welfare. She received an intensive occupational therapy and physiotherapy treatment plan with a dedicated rehabilitation team. The focus was primarily on improving her balance and coordination, areas that were significantly impacted by her traumatic brain injury, Hannah received personalised exercises to push her to gradually regain strength and mobility. She was also offered psychological support at this time but Hannah did not feel ready to engage in this at that point.

In 2024 Hannah began another episode of rehabilitation with Hobbs Rehabilitation. This was in response to significant positive developments in her life and an increased self-awareness in the long-term consequences of her accident. While Hannah had made great progress with time and was undertaking further vocational studies, she was also continuing to experience some subtle ongoing difficulties as a result of her brain injury. Hannah therefore began attending therapy sessions at Hobbs Rehabilitation at Oaksey House in Lambourn, within the Injured jockeys Rehab centre. She was initially funded for access to this therapy with support of Racing Welfare and now continues to self fund her treatment independently.

She has been seen within the Intensive Outpatient treatment package receiving the full Neurological Therapy services from the specialised rehabilitation team. Hannah is also continuing her occupational therapy. One of Hannah’s main goals was to be able to achieve simple daily tasks without feeling completely wiped out. So she is now being supported by our Senior Occupational Therapist, Rachel O’Neill, to manage important paperwork and focus on her career and vocational goals. To further support her physical recovery, Hannah also uses the hydrotherapy pool with the physio and fitness instructor team, which plays a key role in enhancing her coordination and boosting her confidence, enabling her to relearn how to swim.

Alongside this, Hannah attends regular Clinical Neuropsychology sessions with Dr Rachel Tams ( Clinical Neuropsychologist) to address the heightened feelings of anxiety, stress and frustration that she can experience as a result of her brain injury. Hannah has been highly motivated to focus on her mental health and emotional wellbeing, as she is aware that these have been significantly affected by the accident. She has also used therapy sessions to explore ways of managing feelings of frustration and anxiety in different ways. Hannah has made great progress in this area over time, and is incredibly grateful for the support she is receiving from the Clinical Neuropsychology team at Hobbs Rehabilitation.

Since working with Hobbs rehabilitation, Hannah has made remarkable progress in her recovery. Through her own determination and hard work, and the vital support of the teams in Bristol and at Oaksey House, she has regained much of the independence she lost due to her traumatic brain injury. Hannah has since earned a diploma in equine massage, along with Level 3 and 4 diplomas in Sports Massage from the University of Bath, marking a significant milestone in her journey. Her most recent episode of rehabilitation also highlights the value that rehabilitation can have several years post-injury in response to new life challenges and goals.

With the help of her occupational therapy and physiotherapy exercises focusing on balance and coordination and fatigue management and pacing skills, Hannah has signed up for the Bath Half Marathon in March 2025, running in aid of Racing Welfare. This achievement would not be possible without the dedication of her own positive mindset, and Hannah’s Neurological Rehabilitation team, who were able to improve her core body strength and tolerance for her daily activities.

“Hobbs have really helped me get back on my feet with everything which has made/making my recovery a lot easier, this injury is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with and everyone at Hobbs has made a huge positive impact in my recovery.”