“It’s all hit me now and it’s a bit daunting”

Thursday 09 June 2022

After a 15ft fall left Connor Bayes paralysed, he and his family have been left to face the “hidden costs and challenges” of affording him the best chance of recovery.

After several meetings and coordinating with more than a dozen medical staff from Guernsey and the UK, Connor has been accepted for specialist rehabilitation treatment, but the opportunity comes with a hefty price tag.

Connor will be moved from an NHS hospital in Salisbury to a private Hobbs Rehabilitation facility next month.

“I’m really happy I’ve been given a place, but it’s all hit me now and it’s a bit daunting that it’s real,” he said.

“We’ve been talking about it a long time and it was easy to say ‘that’s eight weeks away’, ‘that’s seven weeks away’, but now it’s actually happening and I need to be thinking about it.”

Pictured: Connor was taken to Southampton Hospital by Medivac in September last year where he underwent spinal surgery. 

Connor’s mum, Kay, said that she had not anticipated how difficult it would be to get Connor a place at the facility in Lambourn.

“It wasn’t a case of getting in touch and making plans, we’ve had to orchestrate meetings between all the medical staff who have been involved in every hospital he’s been in,” she said.

“There is an email chain with about 14 people on it and trying to get everyone in the same place at the same time has been a challenge. The extent of Connor’s injuries mean that everyone has needed to give some input; the planning has been intricate and complex.”

Connor and Kay had their fifth meeting about his treatment yesterday [8 June].

Kay continued: “It had originally been anticipated that Connor would spend two months at Hobbs, but that has been reduced to one month initially because two months could be excessive for him and actually cause damage to his shoulder and arms.

“He will be starting slowly because to go from nothing at all to four hours of treatment a day would be too intense.”

Pictured: NHS staff shortages have seen Connor given only a small fraction of the rehabilitation treatment he should have received.

After the initial one-month treatment at Hobbs, Connor will return to hospital in Guernsey, but will be able to return to the Hobbs facility in future.

“The costs involved for his treatment at Hobbs are substantial and are open ended depending on how many times he needs to go back,” said Kay.

“We were also surprised to learn that [at the Hobbs facility] Connor will need a carer 24-hours a day. Our initial plan was that I would care for Connor overnight and we would pay for his care for 12 hours a day, but we found out that won’t be possible, so the carer salary we had anticipated has doubled.”

When Connor returns to Guernsey, the family will need a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

“There are so many hidden costs and challenges that we didn’t think about and I am sure that plenty more are going to crop up,” said Kay.

“We have someone who is trying to source a wheelchair accessible vehicle for us in Guernsey but this hasn’t been possible yet. Although Connor will be under hospital care, he will be allowed out during the day and it’s important that we are able to get him out and about.”

Pictured: Connor was a keen snowboarder before his accident, which left him paralysed from the chest down. 

Connor’s sister, Brodie, set up a fundraising page for his treatment, which has raised over £18,500 of the £30,000 target.

Kay said there was already “a fanfare of people” waiting to see Connor when he returns to the island.

“We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the support that Connor has received and we couldn’t be more grateful,” she said.

“A lot of people have been asking what they can do to help, so I think it’s been good that they have been able to donate to his fundraising page because they know that the money is going directly towards Connor’s treatment and really will make a difference.”

While Connor is in hospital in Guernsey he will be assessed to see his daily basic needs and what the best option will be for him for future housing and care.

Connor has remained remarkably positive throughout his treatment since the accident.

“I am still feeling positive about everything. I don’t know that I can explain exactly how I feel about going to Hobbs and coming back to Guernsey because it’s all unknown at the moment,” he said.

“I’m just going to keep doing my best and take everything one step at a time.”

Pictured: Connor said he is "still feeling positive about everything" as he continues his recovery. 

Kay agreed that the road ahead for Connor is a “daunting” one.

“There isn’t a set plan for his rehabilitation, so we don’t know exactly what to expect, but what I do know is that, when Connor puts his mind to something, he does it with his whole heart and soul,” she said.

“Connor will continue to work hard with his rehabilitation and the access to hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and standing frames will bring him on leaps and bounds. The most beneficial thing is that he will be receiving one-to-one treatment and sometimes even two-to-one; everything will be focused on him and his rehabilitation and giving him the best possible chance.”

You can donate to Connor’s treatment HERE

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"It's not about what I've lost, it's about what I've still got"