‘I begged my Mum to smother me’: Two Leeds women reveal the hidden reality of surviving major trauma
Young Leeds women front stark new campaign exposing the hidden reality of surviving major trauma
Two young Leeds women who survived devastating accidents have spoken of the hidden struggles that followed their life-changing injuries as part of a stark new campaign.
Lucie Maguire, 19, was dragged beneath a 10-tonne tractor trailer and spent 518 days in hospital, while Ryiah Beesley-Gibson, 25, suffered a broken hip and snapped femur after a fall while on holiday in Indonesia.
Now their stories are being used to highlight a message that survivors say is often overlooked: leaving hospital does not mean the trauma is over.
“My injuries were so bad, I begged my Mum to smother me with a pillow. I just didn’t see the point in living.”
Lucie Maguire was just 19 years old when she was hit by a tractor and dragged under its 10-tonne trailer. Her injuries were so severe that they were likened to a bomb blast victim and saw her spend 518 days in hospital.
Ryiah Beesley-Gibson should have been the holiday of a lifetime in Indonesia, but she tripped while out walking and snapped her femur.
She said: “I went from being independent and active to back at home with my parents. My family were incredible but there were some things they just couldn’t understand. The whole experience was just so isolating.”
Their experience is at the heart of I lost my life when I didn’t die, a new awareness campaign from Day One Trauma Support launched to mark Major Trauma Awareness Week.
The campaign is backed by Baroness Alison Lowe, the Deputy Mayor of Policing and Crime for West Yorkshire.
It aims to challenge the widespread assumption that once someone has survived a serious injury and left hospital, their ordeal is over.
For many survivors, the reality is very different. The physical injuries may be visible, but the loss of independence, identity, relationships, confidence and future plans can be harder to see – and can take years to navigate.
Lucy Nickson, chief executive of Day One Trauma Support which is based in Leeds, said: “The frightening reality is that major trauma can happen to any one of us. You’re crossing the road when a car comes out of nowhere. You’re knocked off your bike. You fall down the stairs. In a single moment, the life you knew and the future you had planned can disappear.
“Yet most of us have little understanding of what happens next. We know about the emergency response. We hear about the operations and the incredible work of NHS trauma teams. But what happens when the hospital doors close behind you?
“Survival is not the same as recovery. For many people like Lucie and Ryiah, that is when the hardest part begins.”
Current figures estimate that there are around 20,000 cases of major trauma every year in England, although emerging research suggests the true figure could be substantially higher.
Major trauma describes serious injuries that can be life-threatening or life-changing. It can include brain or spinal injuries, serious burns, amputations, multiple fractures or a combination of severe injuries.
Baroness Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: “One thousand two hundred and ten people suffered serious injuries on our roads last year. That is a huge amount of trauma and so many lives changed forever.
“We’re working to reduce that number to zero, but it’s crucial that anyone impacted receives the care they need.
“That is why Day One and Major Trauma Awareness Week are so important. We need victims to know what support is available so please get involved and join us in spreading the word.”
For Lucie and Ryiah, finding Day One Trauma Support was a turning point.
Through the charity’s peer support service, Ryiah connected with someone else who had experienced life-changing injuries and understood what she was going through. Lucie received counselling and practical support.