My story isn't really about me, but about my sister, Rosanna. 

It began when I received a call from my Mum (ignored the first one, obviously) to tell me that Rosanna had been hit by a car whilst running in London early in the morning of 11 November 2014. My parents were due to stay with me and my girlfriend (now wife) Danielle that evening, but diverted their journey to St George's hospital in Tooting, after Rosanna had been rushed there by ambulance at around 6am. 

There started probably the longest journey any of my family have ever been on, and for Rosanna, that journey is still ongoing. Rosanna was placed in an induced coma after the accident in neuro intensive care where she stayed for five and a half weeks due to the sustained injuries all over her body. 

My first visit to St George's was a couple of days after her accident and my mum had prepared me for the worst. She was on ICU and I walked straight past her and asked the nurse where Rosanna Mowbray was – she was unrecognisable. Her body had swelled up so much due to the injuries and she lay motionless on the bed with all manner of leads and monitors keeping her with us. 

Over the next few months, there were many moments where we nearly lost her.  Mum stayed at the hospital daily, Dad travelled regularly from work in Dorset back to the hospital when he was able to. Danielle and I visited every weekend, and Plana and Will, my younger siblings who both live in London, also visited when they could. 

She sustained multiple physical injuries – broken right leg, fractured shoulder blade and pelvis, displaced right ankle – but the one that has had the most impact on her has been the frontal lobe brain injury, severing the brain's pathways and causing Rosanna to relearn simple things like walking, along with severely impacting her short term memory. She couldn't talk for two and a half months following the accident. The brain is remarkable, in the early stages of her recovery she could remember song lyrics from our childhood, some 18 years ago, but couldn't remember what she ate an hour previous. 

Headway provided invaluable support for Rosanna in her recovery and the wider family by providing information at the early stages when we were all very unsure about what was happening. The website is incredibly informative helping to  guide families through the situation and offering access to wider support networks. 

Rosanna was able to leave hospital after seven months, but due to her injuries, had to live at home with my parents to continue her recovery. She has always been hell-bent on getting back to London and continuing her life in the city that she loved. Pleasingly, she is living in a flat in Wimbledon and is able to live comfortably by herself with regular contact with support workers to assist her when needed.

She is the strongest person I know, and having the conviction and determination to return to London and create a new life for herself after everything she has been through is proof of that. 

I'm running for Rosanna, who will be cheering me on behind the barriers.  

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/newsitem/rosies-road-to-recovery/