Ebbw Vale man left brain injured by accident takes up climbing (From South Wales Argus)

Ebbw Vale man left brain injured by accident takes up climbing

12:10pm Friday 25th January 2013 in News

A MAN left with a brain injury after he nearly died in a car accident five years ago is back making the most of his life – even taking on the sport of climbing.

James Edwards, 22, of Ebbw Vale, was 16 when he was hit by a car, which resulted in him being put on a life support machine and spending three months in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, and a further two years at Rookwood rehabilitation hospital in Cardiff.

But now, after initially being unable to speak and feed himself following the accident, Mr Edwards is back enjoying life and is a regular climber at Cardiff’s Boulders indoor climbing centre which has helped him further along in his recovery.

Mr Edwards, who remains paralysed down his right side and uses a wheelchair, was encouraged to take on the sport through an initiative of brain injury charity Headway.

His mum Sonia said: “I am immensely proud of him. He has a fabulous personality.”

Senior climbing instructor at Boulder’s, Tym Miller-White said: “It has been nice to see James progress. He is a very sociable guy and I think he almost enjoys the socialising as much as he does the climbing.”