Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me David Thomas Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury David Thomas A special thank you to my understanding wife Watch the story Three years ago, 33-year-old David Thomas sustained a brain injury while playing rugby. It put his career and relationship with his wife, Helen, under increasing pressure as he struggled to cope. Today, David is slowly rebuilding his life, with Helen providing ever-present support. Recognising the role Helen has played in helping him to get this far, David chose an imaginative way to say thank you... In 2012, David was playing rugby when a fierce tackle caused a severe whiplash effect as David fell backwards, forcing his brain forward against his skull. "I remember having an instant headache and feeling incredibly dizzy after the hit," said David. "I didn't realise at the time how serious it could be and I adopted the stereotypical 'macho man' approach of taking painkillers after the match, with a few pints, before going home. "Three weeks later, I suffered another dizzy spell and fell to the ground, spraining my ankle. "I went to the doctors about my ankle, but when he asked me questions about the dizziness and headaches, he referred me to Newham General Hospital in London. Doctors there identified a severe head trauma caused by a suspected concussion and bleed in my brain." Before his brain injury, David had managed gyms and had been a health and fitness trainer. For nearly a year after the incident, he tried to continue life as normal and ignore the headaches, mood swings and dizzy spells that were caused by his brain injury. However, he was eventually forced to press pause on his career. "It was very hard both for me and Helen when I stopped working," said David. "Our entire relationship dynamic changed. Helen became the primary breadwinner, which put pressure on her and, while I know it sounds daft, made me feel slightly emasculated. I felt as though I had lost my identity. With the support of Helen, David is slowly rebuilding his fitness career. This year, the couple marked their five-year wedding anniversary with a trip to Egypt. But, on their return, romantic David had something even more special planned to thank his wife for her unwavering support. Having lured Helen out to a local restaurant, David surprised his wife by leading a supporting cast of opera singers and members of the Hackney Colliery Brass Band in a touching rendition of the couple's wedding song, Rule the World. "Helen has been the most incredible support for me and she truly deserved a public display of affection," said David. "It has been a horrendous few years, but my brain injury has taught me to value the time I spend with my beautiful wife." Thankfully, the romantic flash-mob scene was caught on camera and David is now asking people who view the film to make a donation to Headway. Back to stories index Traumatic brain injury Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by a trauma to the head (head injury) Find out more Caring If you are caring for someone with a brain injury or have a relative being treated in hospital, this section will help you to meet the challenges ahead and find the support you need. Find out more Donate Find out more Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings