Philip Watling's Page

A Stantonbury man who defied a hopeless outlook after being severely brain damaged has written a book about his recovery. Philip Watling says he was ‘technically dead’ after he accidentally stepped off a bus in front of a moving ear, before bouncing back into the bus. He was told he would never walk or talk again — and certainly not drive or ride a horse, as he used to before the horrifying accident.
But within 18 months of that bleak prognosis he had done all of those things. And the 37-year-old has now published a book about his amazing experience.
He said: “It’s about my life, my death and my resurrection, and how the medical services in this country — which we all too often criticised — are incredible and should be marvelled at.”
Philip was flown from the accident scene by emergency helicopter and that flight to recovery forms a major theme through his inspiring story. “On the Glasgow Coma Scale, which starts at three for ‘dead’ and 15 for ‘normal’, I was a five,” he said. “With such brain injury, it’s not just about the obvious damage to the brain, it’s about all the little things and abilities that are destroyed as a result.
“But now all that’s really left from the accident is a few minor things - I have a bit of a limp, and sometimes I struggle with my words and get an achy shoulder.
“It’s amazing how the brain can relearn how to do things from memory, and parts of it that weren’t used before injury can take over and do the jobs they were never originally designed for.”

Flight of a Lifetime is published by Athena Press and available from the company’s website www.athenapress.com or from Amazon at www.amazon.com.

Philip is closely involved with — and hugely grateful to the Milton Keynes branch of the brain injury association Headway. For more information about the Neath Hill- based group, call MK 230555 or visit www.headway.org.uk