Paul Sagar, a 37-year-old reader in political theory at King’s College London, has shared a deeply personal diary extract detailing his life since a catastrophic climbing accident left him tetraplegic. The accident occurred on 5 June last year while climbing in Glencoe, Scotland, when a rock collapse caused a 20-metre fall, shattering his left arm, breaking his right arm, and fracturing two vertebrae in his neck.
Sagar, a former passionate rock climber, was airlifted to Glasgow hospital where he underwent several operations and awoke four weeks later. He has since been transferred to the Royal London hospital for intensive physiotherapy. He now has limited use of his hands and no control of his body below his abdominal muscles, with doctors saying he will likely never walk again.
In his diary, Sagar describes the daily humiliation of hospital life, including loss of bowel and bladder control, and the constant disruption of care. He underwent surgery to insert a tube into his bladder, rendering his penis effectively redundant. He writes: ‘I have by now lost count of the number of strangers who have either seen or had to wash my genitals.’
Sagar also reflects on his changed identity, noting that his body has wasted away: ‘I look at the arms attached to me now, and they are thin like twigs… When attempting to do the most basic of exercises, a mind that remembers developing serious core strength over years tries to engage abdominal muscles that cannot perform even the beginning of a single measly sit-up.’ He confesses: ‘It has been a year since I felt joy.’
Despite his injuries, Sagar resumed academic work in early 2024, using voice dictation software to write. He remains clear-eyed about his situation, stating: ‘The likelihood is I will never walk again, let alone climb.’ His diary offers a brutally honest account of adjusting to life with severe disability.
