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Three months since I first spoke to Connor Bayes, we were finally able to meet in person after he returned to the island for the first time since an accident which left him paralysed from the chest down.
As the one-year anniversary of his accident approaches next month, he talked me through his progress and plans. I was left thinking we could all afford to be more like Connor. While he is doing all he can to shape a future with a ‘new normal’, limitations in his care locally are a cause for concern for his family.
Connor returned to the island last week after spending a month in a specialist rehabilitation facility, which was funded through donations.
Pictured: Connor Bayes with his mum, Kay, at Le Friquet Garden Centre.
“It made a world of difference to be at Hobbs [the rehabilitation centre] after the NHS hospital. I went from having physiotherapy where there would be up to three of us in a session, to having one, or sometimes two, physiotherapists working with me exclusively,” said Connor.
“At Salisbury [the NHS facility] it felt as though they were trying to get me to do the best with what I’ve got left. At Hobbs they were all about finding out what I might still have use of that I didn’t even know. For example, I was told that I didn’t have any use of my core by the NHS, but at Hobbs I realised that I do have some use and that’s something I can work on building.”
Connor said that he has regained some movement in his wrists and has feeling in the palms of his hands and his thumbs. At the Hobbs facility, Connor was in an apartment with a carer living upstairs.
“At Hobbs I really tried to do as much as I could independently and not to rely on calling the carer to help me. I feel like I gained a lot of independence in my month there, so it is weird to suddenly be back in a hospital setting in Guernsey,” said Connor.
WATCH: Connor said that he has been contacted by strangers who were touched by this video of his story.
Connor's mum, Kay Bayes, added: “Connor’s so positive and has been making the best of everything, but in a way it seems like a step back for him to be in hospital when he had been doing so well in the apartment.
“We don’t know how long Connor will need to stay in the hospital here before suitable accommodation becomes available for him on island. We have been told that there is housing being built that might be able to be adapted for Connor, but we haven’t been told where or when it is likely to be ready.
“The suggestion we were given was that Connor could be moved to a care home in the interim, but that’s not something we want for him, or something he wants. He’s 23 and he’s been gaining independence back.”
While neither Connor nor Kay were critical of the care Connor has been receiving on-island, they said there were some limitations.
“Something that I found extremely helpful at Hobbs was the hydrotherapy treatment. There is a hydrotherapy pool at the hospital here, but I’ve been told it can only be used for outpatients due to staffing. So, at the moment, I’m not having any hydrotherapy at all which is a bit frustrating,” said Connor.
“I was told there is potential that I can use the pool at Beau Sejour, but it’s a much colder pool and my body can’t regulate its temperature, so I really need a warmer pool.”
Pictured: Upon returning to Guernsey Connor has been reunited with his dog, Alfie.
Kay said that they were trying to find an alternative that might be suitable. “I am going to try and speak to Le Rondin School to see if Connor could use their facilities. He needs somewhere where he can lie down flat after to dry and be dressed; it’s not as simple as going for a swim somewhere,” she said.
Kay said that there were “so many more things to think about” than she anticipated. “We have never had to think about whether somewhere is accessible, all the things we need to have with us, and about all the limitations to consider before. It’s like trying to look after triplets on your own, there’s so much to think about,” she said.
Connor added: “It is a lot to think about, but I’m just taking things one day at a time. I haven’t been thinking that there’s anything I won’t be able to do; there are ways to adapt everything.”
Connor will be returning to the UK next month to take part in the WheelPower Inter Spinal Unit Games. The annual event sees over 100 patients and 60 support staff from spinal units across the UK compete in a week of sport. Connor will be competing with five other patients from Salisbury.
Pictured: Connor was flown to Southampton by Medivac after his accident last September.
“I’ve always been naturally sporty and I’m really looking forward to trying out as many new sports as possible to see if I enjoy any of them,” said Connor.
“It will be great to be back with the other patients at Salisbury because some of them became close friends. We will all travel up together and hopefully have some success in the sports. I am very competitive but I also understand that I’ve never tried any of these sports before. I’m really hoping that there will be at least one sport that I want to continue with once I’ve been able to try.”
Kay said the family was self-funding the trip for Connor and his father to go with. “Sport has always been a big part of Connor’s life so it will be great if he’s able to find one that he wants to pursue. If he takes to one, it would be fantastic if he could find a sponsor in the future to allow him to travel to the UK to continue with it.”
Before his accident last year - where he fell 15-foot over a wall and broke vertebrae in his spine - Connor had been working with a personal trainer.
Pictured: Connor has been playing for Rovers Football Club since he was four years old. He was awarded "Rover of the Year" this year.
“I had been training with Ben Honour and I’ve been really pleased that, now that I’m back in Guernsey, he’s continued to train me. He wanted to learn more about training people with disabilities and he’s very kindly doing my sessions free of charge,” said Connor.
“I think the fact that I was used to training and had my own gym set-up at home has really helped in my recovery progress. I’m used to the kind of training the physiotherapists have been doing with me.
“Unfortunately, now that I’m back in the hospital here, I only have physiotherapy for four hours a week and that will reduce. It’s a massive drop from having it every single day at Hobbs and I am worried that my progress will be limited because of that.
“I’m allowed out the hospital here and Ben’s been training with me at my home gym. Ben is going away for a week and, shortly after that, will be moving to the UK. I would really like to find another physio who would be willing to work with me when Ben leaves.”
Pictured: Connor has spent time in Southampton Hospital, Salisbury Hospital and Hobbs Rehabilitation Facility.
Kay said it was “extremely fortunate” that Connor had his own gym equipment. “If Connor didn’t have his own set up then he would be limited to the four hours a week, which really isn’t enough to maintain his progress,” she said.
Connor hopes that he will be able to return to the Hobbs facility, but it comes with a hefty price tag of £4,000 per week.
“I wanted to stay longer at Hobbs, but they said that there wasn’t much that they would be able to do in eight weeks that I hadn’t achieved in four. They said I need to go away and take time to keep building my strength up so that they can help me do more when I go back,” he said.
“I was completely overwhelmed by the donations people made for my treatment. I’ve had so many messages of support from people I don’t even know, including in Jersey and the UK who said they were touched by my story and wanted to help me. It’s been really incredible and it’s difficult to explain what it means.”
Pictured: Before his accident, Connor enjoyed snowboarding. He said he was keen to try as many sports as possible at the upcoming WheelPower Inter Spinal Unit Games.
Kay said that it was “difficult to ask for money” but said that they would continue to fundraise to allow Connor to return to Hobbs. The family needs to raise around £16,000 for Connor's next round of treatment.
“It’s never easy to ask for help, particularly over money, but the support Connor’s had has been incredible. It’s not only financial support, but messages of support and people asking what they can do to help,” she said.
“In my mind, it’s not an option that Connor won’t go back to Hobbs. We will get him there by hook or by crook; I’ll do absolutely anything I can to raise the money for his treatment.
“We really want to stress how grateful we are to everyone who has donated towards his treatment. It was a massive weight lifted to know that we didn’t need to be as concerned about the first round of treatment costs along with all the other things we were dealing with as a family.”
Pictured: Connor underwent spinal surgery after a 15-foot fall left him paralysed from the chest down.
Connor hopes that he will be able to raise the funds and return to the Hobbs facility after Christmas. “I need to spend enough time building up strength before I go back, but I’m determined to have as good a recovery as possible,” he said.
“I’ve been told that it might take two or three years after the accident to fully gage what movement I will regain, so I know there is a long journey ahead. I’m going to keep taking it day by day and keep trying my best to help myself.”
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