A teenager who sustained a serious head injury while on a football holiday in Ibiza has described how he spent four months on a stroke ward, despite doctors initially believing he would not survive. Daniel Hurst, then 19, was on an annual trip with Yateley United Football Club in May last year when the incident occurred.
After an evening out with teammates, including his father Steve, Mr Hurst decided to walk back to the hotel alone, but disappeared. Several hours later, police informed his father that a British boy had been admitted to hospital with severe head injuries and was not expected to survive the night. Mr Hurst was airlifted to Majorca, where surgeons removed part of his skull to reduce swelling and placed him in a medically induced coma.
After four weeks in a Spanish hospital, he was stable enough to be transferred to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, where he spent four months on a stroke unit—becoming the youngest patient ever treated there. He arrived unable to walk or talk, but thanks to the care he received, he has since recovered significantly and is now planning to run the London Marathon to raise funds for the hospital's charity.
Mr Hurst, who works at a local golf club and is back playing football, wants to raise awareness that recovery is possible after traumatic brain injury. He urged holiday-goers to be careful and always stay with at least one other person. His father Steve echoed the message, saying the incident could happen anywhere.
Dr Tilly Speirs, consultant stroke physician at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said Mr Hurst had done remarkably well, noting his age and prior fitness from running a marathon contributed to his recovery. She described him as a testament to the benefits of rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury.
