Abbi

I was only three-years-old when dad had his accident.

When Paul, a roofer, climbed an unsecured ladder on uneven ground, he knew it was a risk. But, taking a chance, he continued to climb, before falling 10ft and becoming paralysed for life. Here, we hear from Paul, and his daughter Abbi who was just three at the time of the accident.

Paul said:

“In 1993 I was working for a construction company doing a bit of roofing work when I fell 10ft from a ladder.

“I realised straight away that I couldn't feel my legs and it was quickly determined that I had fractured my back and was paralysed from the waist down. I was told that I would never walk again. I was 24 years old.

“I had to spend four months in rehab at a special unit. My marriage quickly ended - I had two young children and struggled to try and rebuild my life.

“The consequences of the accident were massive. Alcohol was the first thing I used to block out the emotional pain and then I became addicted to prescription drugs and ended up in a coma.

“I'm not proud of what I did but these are the things that can happen to you when you suffer a life-changing accident.

“When you are that low it's quite frightening what you do to try and alleviate what you are going through. I was a normal guy who went to work, with a family, and these are the consequences for making the decision I did.

“I was inexperienced; I wasn't a roofer by trade, which were all the signs for something to potentially go wrong. I was going up a ladder, it wasn't secured and the ground condition wasn't very good. I knew that I shouldn't be climbing it, but I thought it would be OK.

“My boss went up the ladder first and I remember thinking "this isn't right". It felt unsafe but I still climbed it. I was trying to get the job done and I decided to do something unsafe, which had devastating consequences.

“I would say to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to speak up if they think something is unsafe. The most important thing is to go home at the end of the day. We must strive for a culture where it is the norm to accept that everybody has the right to go home safely to their loved ones.”

Here, Paul’s daughter Abbie describes the effects of her father’s fall:

“I remember visiting my Dad in hospital and having to spend a lot of time with my auntie and grandparents. Now I’m older, I understand why, but as a little girl at the time I just missed my dad.

“Dad’s accident had a huge effect on me growing up - I still find it really hard to talk about. For a long time we didn’t speak about it - it was too painful and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“I remember poking him in his leg when he wasn’t looking - I just couldn’t get my head around things and why he was different.

“The accident has had a profound effect on our family and close friends - well, it’s been life-changing for everyone. My extended family took on a huge responsibility of looking after me as a child and they also had to deal with dad’s erratic behaviour as he struggled mentally and emotionally to cope. 

“Growing up, my brother and I did miss out - Dad couldn’t teach us to ride our bikes, take us swimming, have a kick-about at football practice. He couldn’t walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. That night we had a big ceilidh, but dad could only watch us dancing from the sidelines.

“Now I’m a mum, I get upset seeing that dad can’t play with his granddaughter - he doesn’t have the balance to lift her into his chair and he can’t babysit her for the night. I know it bothers him too, which upsets me even more. It’s been a long struggle.

“While we are all in a much better place now, we are still faced with constant everyday challenges. A simple set of steps when we go out for lunch only remind us he’s not as able as he once was. That’s hard for all of us to deal with.

“The day of the accident, dad and his workmates were short of time. They needed to get the job done, so they cut corners. He didn’t think of the consequences or his family waiting at home for him to come back safely.

“So, my message is this - trust that initial gut feeling. Think of your loved ones at home. Don’t risk it. Take it from me, the last 26 years have been a nightmare. I don’t want you and your family to go through what we have endured.”

Jason now works as a motivational and behavioural safety speaker giving talks to industry about his experience of living as a paraplegic and the story of his life before, the day of and after the accident.