A mother of two has told how she survived a 40ft fall from a balcony while sleepwalking during a family holiday in Paris, waking from a three-week coma with a life-changing brain injury.
Raina Heverin, 44, from Liverpool, suffered catastrophic injuries when she fell from a Juliet balcony into a courtyard in the French capital in April last year. The mum-of-two sustained a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung, a broken hip, arm and ribs.
The fall and its aftermath
The incident occurred on April 26, 2025, after Raina swapped bedrooms with her brother and sister-in-law because traffic noise had kept her awake. Their quieter room overlooked an internal courtyard and featured a Juliet balcony. Raina believes she was sleepwalking when she fell from the open window.
At around 6am, her brother noticed her bedroom door open and initially thought she had gone for a run. But when he saw her trainers still inside and the window open, he looked down and found her lying motionless in the courtyard. A neighbour helped call an ambulance.
Raina spent three weeks in a coma and two months in hospital in France before returning to the UK. She later had further treatment at Whiston Hospital, spent five months at Broadgreen Hospital, and moved into a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit.
Recovery and diagnosis
Doctors in France told her family that her exceptional fitness – she exercised daily, running 10km, cycling, lifting weights, and attending fitness classes – had helped save her life. Despite pulling through, she was diagnosed with ataxia, a neurological condition affecting balance and coordination, alongside a traumatic brain injury.
She now experiences tremors and has had to relearn everyday tasks. "It's hard for me to do normal things – like putting on mascara or holding a cup of coffee," she said. "Putting make-up on takes a lot longer. I had to re-learn how to do everything."
Finding purpose
Raina has written a children's book to help her children, Cian, 10, and Aliyah, eight, understand her brain injury. She has also raised more than £4,000 for The Brain Charity by completing a 5km walking challenge – 40 laps of her garden over four days.
"It feels like a massive achievement," she said. "I'm excited for the future, because I know it can only get better." She hopes her story encourages others not to lose hope: "Don't give up, keep going. You're going to have some bad days, but you're going to have good days too. There's a life that's worth living."
