Beautiful Day

A Trip to The Beach 11 years ago changed Matthew Bassett's life forever. Now a TV presenter, he is determined to show life does not stop after a Spinal Cord injury.

It started like any other day but it became one I would never forget.

I was 19 and I remember The Sun was out when I arrived at The Beautiful seaside town of Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire on Friday, 13 May 2011. The Sea looked gloriously inviting.

Swim shorts on, shoes off. I ran down The Beach , dived and hit my head on a sandbank.

The Chaos that followed was unforgettable.

Panic rushed through My Body as I realised I couldn't move my arms and legs and I was in danger of drowning.

It's staggering how long a person can hold their breath, knowing that life could be Taken Away with One More crashing wave.

I prayed, thought about My Family , and exhaled.

Peace replaced fear, The Waves became calm, and I closed my eyes.

As you can tell by reading this, you know I was saved.

That first breath out of The Sea was the sweetest, most life-affirming breath of oxygen.

By that time, I remember a substantial gathering of nosey people trying to find out what had happened on the usually peaceful beach.

After being pulled from The Sea , it was decided that an air ambulance would Be My best way back to a hospital.

It was my First Time in a helicopter, and all I saw were the rotor blades above my head, they were mesmerising and almost sent me to sleep.

However, The Paramedic wouldn't let me drift off.

" Keep Talking to me, Matthew, " was refreshing to hear actually - I usually get told to be quiet.

After 20 Minutes , we arrived at University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff.

My mum met me as I entered A& E. I can't imagine how she felt when a doctor explained that I'd got a suspected broken neck.

I don't recall much of that evening, a mix of beeps, buzzers and nurses telling me it would be alright.

After various scans, my neck was put into a rigid collar. Tape was also put over my forehead and stuck to The Bed to prevent me from doing further harm by moving.

A doctor then came, and broke The News that I had fractured a bone in my neck and would require an operation. An injury that high can often affect all four limbs, called tetraplegia.

There would be a high chance that I would never walk again.

I can't recall how I felt hearing that, and After All the commotion of The Day , it didn't Hit Me until days after.

The Next day I was booked in for an early morning appointment in theatre to Fix Me up.

After a couple of weeks of recovery, I was transferred to Rookwood Hospital 's spinal rehab unit in Llandaff, Cardiff, to learn how To Live again as a person with no movement in my legs, uncontrollable bowels and a

A nasty pressure sore kept me in bed for three months. During that time, I watched thousands of house renovations on TV's Homes Under The Hammer .

Getting Up into a wheelchair was The Next challenge.

Goals were set every month, to See Me through to being discharged. Things such as getting into a car and Getting In and out of bed.

Finally, after 10 months of Hard Work , it was time to Go Home . Strangely, not the same home I left on Friday, 13 May, but somewhere new.

It felt weird going to a new property, but at the same time, it was a Fresh Start .

The House in Pencoed, Bridgend, had to have a couple of adaptations: A ramp to The Front door, an automatic key fob fancy door and a wet room.

I missed The Hospital . It was too quiet At Home , with no beeps, no loud snoring, no regular tea served and no all-day attention. Being At Home was when The Real rehab started, and it was hard.

Life felt great when I was With Friends and family, but strip it back to when nobody was around, and I honestly couldn't Work Out How To achieve a full life.

However, being given more care hours to have a Personal Assistant with me gave me more time to practice Life Skills that would aid independence.

Things such as emptying my catheter bag meant I would be able to pop out and about on My Own and have a few beers without needing to ask anyone for assistance.

Sometimes it takes one positive boost to be a catalyst for change. For me, independently going to the loo was just that.

" Life doesn't stop after a Spinal Cord injury" is a quote that has been drilled into me ever since my accident. Understanding that took a while.

But once I got my head into gear, I taught myself to get into bed, travelled independently on trains and started flying again.

In 2014, I was offered a job as an independent living advisor on the same spinal ward I was treated on. I was absolutely delighted.

Nine years on, I still work there and continue to chat to the patients about Life After injury.

It's a job I cherish and take seriously, as I know how important it is to see and hear that there is a fulfilling Life After injury.

Yes, life looks different and can be difficult at times, but on The Flip side, it can also bring The Most unexpected and beautiful surprises.

When I was a patient, I met a gorgeous Student Nurse called Amanda who had The Best hair washing technique ever.

Whenever she was on shift, I would ask to have a hair scrub and have a little talk with her.

Sadly, when her placement was over, I didn't see her for a few years, then in 2017, we bumped into each other and went for a few Christmas Drinks .

We haven't stopped seeing each other since.

We fell in love, and got married in April 2021. She was The Most Beautiful Bride on The Most Beautiful Day .

Since my accident, I decided to Say Yes to any opportunity that came My Way , something that has seen me become a TV presenter on.

I feel So Lucky to travel around Wales making great little films showcasing that it doesn't matter if you need a wheelchair to get around, you can still have an adventure.

My story could've easily ended on The Day I had my accident, but it didn't. It was, however, the start of a new chapter.

Whatever you're going through, grab every special moment you can.

Understand that Hard Times come, but they're Not Here to stay and see a bright future ahead.

You've got this.

Source of news: bbc.com