When Rory Curtis awoke from a six-day coma with an uncanny new ability, he didn’t recognize himself—and neither did his family.
The Worst News of His Life
When Rory Curtis’ father got word of a serious car crash on the highway, he became paralyzed with dread. He and his son had been working on a building project together. Rory, a semi-professional soccer player, had left earlier to run a simple errand.
They Had No Idea What Was Coming
Minutes later, David Curtis received a phone call that would change his life forever. He dialed his wife’s number with trembling hands to let her know what had happened. The Curtises knew their son might never be the same, but they never could have anticipated what was about to happen next.
Not the First Time
“When David called me, I went into the horrors because I’d been there once before when Rory had nearly died,” said Rory’s mother Vera, a 57-year-old hairdresser. Her fears weren’t unfounded; Rory had cheated death once before as a young boy.
Fighting for His Life
When Rory was only seven years old, he had been rushed to the hospital with what turned out to be meningitis. Rory was given a 50% chance of survival…
He’s A Survivor
Their son had pulled through to see another day when he was just a little boy. They were hoping he had the same strength this time around. However, these circumstances were even more critical.
Hospital Bound
Rory’s mother drove to the hospital with her sister. “It was like life was buzzing past and we were in slow motion,” she said. Meanwhile, her son was being airlifted to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital…
Driving in a Storm
Rory had been driving down the M42 in a torrential downpour when his car collided with a tractor-trailer. Immediately afterward, six cars crashed into the side of his vehicle. He was trapped at the scene for 40 minutes…
On the Verge of Death
Firefighters worked tirelessly to free the unconscious man from the wreckage. He was the only one who had been critically injured. By the time Rory made it to the hospital, his prognosis was grim.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Rory had suffered a multifocal intracranial brain hemorrhage, meaning his blood vessels had ruptured and blood was leaking into his brain. His chances of surviving the traumatic brain injury were slim to none.
Medically Induced Coma
At the scene of the crash, medics had no choice but to induce Rory into a coma. When his mother finally arrived at the hospital and saw him lying in the bed, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Frightening Sight
Rory had a hole with a tube coming out of it protruding from the front of his head. The doctors had also shaved off the 23-year-old’s hair in order to embed the medical device known as a shunt.
Waiting on the News
“He didn’t look like my Rory,” she recalled. “He was always so fit and now he looked like a little old man.” The surgeon gave her the rest of the bad news…
Broken and Bruised
The surgeon informed Rory’s parents that his hip had been totally decimated in the accident and that “the bone had crumbled away.” Vera and David began to grow lightheaded.
Nothing Helps
The police attempted to soothe his terrified parents, reassuring them that they’d seen people survive similar injuries, but they weren’t convinced…
Popping the Question
“I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I wanted to vomit from the bottom of my stomach. Time stood still,” Vera said. At the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, David was approached by the National Institute for Health Research Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research (NIHR) Center. They had an interesting proposition: one that may save their son’s life.
New Drug Trial
The NIHR asked Rory’s father if he would consent to Rory trialing a new drug that might help to restore his cognitive function. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, with nothing left to lose, agreed to administer the drug to their comatose son.
Feels Like Forever
Once the drug had been given to Rory via an intravenous drip, there was nothing left to do but wait. Vera and David were unsure if their son would ever wake up.
Six Days Later
“I still dream about it now, like when I dream about when he had meningitis, it’s still vivid,” said his mother. Hours turned into days with no sign of improvement. Then, on the sixth day after the accident, everything changed.
Wishing and Waiting
Rory was only the second person in Britain to ever undergo the new drug treatment. His parents had no idea whether it would help or impede Rory’s recovery, but they remained hopeful…
The Best News
After six sleepless nights and weary days, Vera and Davis received news that their son had finally opened his eyes. Not only that, but he was having a full conversation with one of the nurses. His parents were overjoyed. They rushed back to the hospital, clueless as to what laid ahead of them.
Desperate for Answers
David and Vera arrived at the hospital, breathless and dizzy with nerves. They had no idea if their son would be the same person he was before the accident. That’s when one of the nurses approached them and asked a question that confused them beyond words…
Bizarre Question
Before they could enter Rory’s room, a nurse stopped them and asked, “Which side of your family is French?” David and Vera glanced at one another, perplexed. What did that have to do with anything?
Where Was She Going with This?
The nurse then explained that she was from Africa and spoke French. David and Vera nodded, unsure of where this was going next. They were just eager to see how their son was recovering from his injuries. Then, the nurse explained why she had asked them about their heritage, and their jaws dropped.
Suddenly Fluent
Rory had apparently been having conversations with the nurse in perfect French. His parents had no idea how this was possible. They demanded to see for themselves…
The Impossible Truth
When David and Vera entered their son’s room, lo and behold, Rory was conversing with another nurse in fluent French. Rory had briefly studied very basic French in school many years prior. Before the accident, he had barely retained any of the language from his Year 9 class nearly a decade earlier. But that wasn’t the only change in their son…
They Saw It with Their Own Eyes
“I didn’t even do French at GCSE so haven’t studied it since Year 9, then all of a sudden I’m fluent in it,” Rory said. “I can’t explain how it happened. It’s incredible really.” He doesn’t remember waking up from the coma, but his family witnessed him speaking to the nurse in perfect French. They were stunned into silence. How was this possible?
The Madness Was Only Beginning
“I was just casually chatting away about how I was feeling in this perfect French accent,” Rory continued. Then, something even more bizarre happened when Rory caught a glance of himself in the mirror.
When Will His Reflection Show Who He Is Inside?
“When I went to the toilet I went to look in the mirror and I was shocked,” Rory said. “I didn’t know what I was looking at.” What had startled him so deeply?
Alright, Alright, Alright!
When Rory woke up from the accident, he was fully convinced he was Matthew McConaughey. When he saw himself in the mirror, he had no idea who was staring back at him. “I was convinced I was him and that I had his good looks as well,” Rory said. “I know it was hopeful thinking, really.”
Dazed and Confused
Over time, Rory slowly came to the realization that he was not, in fact, a famous actor. “I was in hospital thinking, ‘I can’t wait to get out of here and back to filming movies,'” he said. At first, Rory wasn’t even aware that he had sustained a brain injury…
Two Steps Behind
Rory, having awoken as a French-speaking Matthew McConaughey, firmly believed he was in the hospital for a broken hip and elbow. Rory’s brain injury was so complex that doctors forced him to undergo a number of psychological tests. Initially, Rory waved them off, but he soon realized his brain had a lot of catching up to do…
Are You Serious?
“They’d ask me to do simple things like draw a line from A to B and I’d be thinking, ‘Are you serious?’ Then I’d find it really difficult,” he explained. “It was like my brain was playing catch-up with my hand.” Two months later, Rory was finally allowed to go back home…but the battle wasn’t over yet.
The Road to Recovery
Rory couldn’t wait to get home; he had discovered that he could still read and write. This came in handy: “I had to have notes everywhere, even in the shower because I’d wash my hair three or four times, forgetting I’d already done it.” His family had been warned that the road to recovery would be a bumpy one…
Persevering Through It All
Having been a successful semi-pro soccer player, Rory had amazing upper body strength was determined to free himself from the confines of his wheelchair. Within a month, doctors were amazed by his progress…
Back on His Feet
Rory had only returned home in October, but by November, he had learned to walk again. Rory even made it back on the soccer team. Unfortunately, his dream of going professional was no longer on the table. That’s when his mother came up with an idea to give Rory a life again…
A New Path
She began to teach her son how to become a barber. Now, years later, Rory works as a barber at his aunt’s salon. He still has aches and pains in his arm and hip, but he’s in the process of training to teach the art of hairdressing to others. Rory and his family are convinced his recovery was a result of the trial drugs administered at Queen Elizabeth. However, there was a catch…
Up in the Air
The Curtis family will never know whether the drug worked. Why? Because they have no way of finding out whether Rory received the real drug, progesterone, or a placebo. Regardless, this isn’t the end of Rory’s journey…
Thankful for It All
Rory’s path to recovery isn’t easy. He struggles with fatigue due to the anti-epilepsy medication he has to take every day since the accident. But Rory knows that life is precious now more than ever, and he makes sure to incorporate his gratitude into his daily routine…
It Could All Be Over
“The accident changed my outlook on life. I can’t leave the house now without telling everyone I love them and giving them a hug,” he said. “I know with a click of your fingers, it could all be over because life is fragile. There’s no point in wasting any time.” Rory knows that without the support of his friends, family, NIHR, and medical team, he wouldn’t be where he is today. And, even though he isn’t Matthew McConaughey, Rory got one lasting talent from the accident: he can still speak fluent French.