A mother-of-two suffered a life-changing brain injury after falling 40ft from a balcony while sleepwalking during a trip to Paris. Raina Heverin, 44, plummeted two floors into a courtyard after opening a window next to a Juliet balcony in the early hours.
She sustained a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung, fractures to her hip, arm and ribs, and remained in a coma for three weeks.
The Night of the Fall
Raina said: "I was in Paris for a long weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. We had spent the day walking around Paris - it was awesome, we had food and went everywhere. We went back to the apartment at about midnight - but I don't remember anything after that."
The nightmare occurred on 26 April last year after Raina exchanged bedrooms with her brother and sister-in-law at the townhouse where they were lodging. She had mentioned that road noise outside her room at the property's front had disturbed her sleep. The pair offered her their more peaceful bedroom at the rear, which featured a Juliet balcony.
Discovery and Emergency
Raina, from Liverpool, retired to the room following a day of sightseeing but has no recollection of the fall - and suspects she was sleepwalking. At 6am, her brother discovered the bedroom door was ajar and first thought she had ventured out for an early morning jog. However, her footwear remained inside and the window stood open. When he peered down, he spotted Raina lying unresponsive in the courtyard beneath.
She said: "My brother and sister-in-law were in disbelief. It was really horrible for them." The pair didn't speak French, though a neighbour stepped in to help them contact emergency services. Raina was taken to hospital with catastrophic injuries and remained in a coma for three weeks.
Injuries and Recovery
She said: "I had a broken arm and a big scar down my arm, I broke my hip, I punctured my lung, I had lots of broken ribs. If I had been found a few hours later, I definitely wouldn't be here."
Prior to the accident, Raina was a busy mum running two businesses while bringing up Cian, 10, and Aliyah, eight. She worked out daily and regularly completed 10km runs, cycled, lifted weights and went to fitness classes. A French doctor subsequently informed her family that her level of physical fitness had been crucial in saving her life. Raina remained in a French hospital for two months before flying back to Britain.
She then spent a week at Whiston Hospital and five months at Broadgreen Hospital before being transferred to a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit in November. Raina was diagnosed with ataxia, a neurological condition which impacts balance, coordination and muscle movement. She also sustained a bleed on the brain and polytrauma - multiple traumatic injuries affecting different areas and systems of the body.
Life After the Accident
She now has difficulty balancing and experiences tremors in her hands, body and throat. Raina said: "It's hard for me to do normal things - like putting on mascara or holding a cup of coffee. Putting make-up on takes a lot longer. I had to re-learn how to do everything."
Her earliest recollections upon emerging from the coma involve her husband Michael at her bedside, reading to her. She recalled: "I remember a bit, but I was very disoriented. I didn't know what the hell had happened."
She continued: "I think I'm still grieving my old life. I go through periods of being happy and sad at the same time. I feel lucky and unlucky. I still feel like I'm in 2025, but it is a year and four months later. The world has kept turning while I've been in hospital."
Fundraising and Hope
Raina has since authored a children's book to help Cian and Aliyah understand her brain injury and the changes in their mum. She has also raised over £4,000 for Liverpool-based The Brain Charity by completing a 5km walking challenge. Raina completed 40 laps of her garden across four days, encouraged by friends and family while her children displayed a banner of support.
She reflected: "It feels like a massive achievement. I'm excited for the future, because I know it can only get better." When asked what advice she'd offer others in rehabilitation, Raina responded: "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."
