Interview - Lucasz Borowski: 'I must make the best of life and not think of what I lost'

LIKE tens of thousands of fellow Poles, Lucasz Borowski made his way to the UK after his country joined the European Union in 2004.

Born in the Baltic port city of Szczecin, he had worked mainly as a chef but following a move to his wife Ela's home town he found opportunities hard to come by.

He was going to work in November 2005 when tragedy struck. The vehicle crashed into a deep ditch, leaving him with catastrophic injuries. He was airlifted by helicopter to hospital in Peterborough as doctors battled to save him.

That day changed his life forever. He was left with permanent paralysis below his shoulders due to injuries to his spinal cord and brain damaged after broken vertebrae blocked the supply of oxygen to his brain. He now needs help with almost all aspects of daily life. Earlier this year, he was awarded damages of 8.35m for the life-long costs of his care.

Perhaps fortuitously, the 27-year-old cannot remember several months either side of the accident.

"It took me a long time before I could connect with other people. I didn't recognise my mum the first time and I called my wife a different name," he said.

"The weirdest thing is that after such a bad injury I could remember English and was able to speak to the doctors and nurses."

He was transferred for specialist rehabilitation to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield for painstaking treatments to overcome the horrendous impact of his injuries. He progressed only slowly, month by month, until the time came for him to leave.

He and Ela, now 30, eventually found a new home at Featherstone, near Pontefract, paid for with an interim payout from the accident. The bungalow had already been adapted for disabled living and they had further conversions carried out.

He has two carers on hand round the clock 365 days a year – one even stays awake through the night in case he needs help and to turn him to a different position in bed.

He can move his arms but cannot manipulate his fingers. To use a toothbrush or shaver, he must strap them to his hand. He has better mobility on his left side but is right handed and has had to learn to use his left hand more.

In what remains a heavy blow, he can no longer make meals.

"I have to tell people what to do which I don't really enjoy. The only reason I wanted to be a cook was because I really enjoy preparing the meals – opening the fridge and taking things from it. It's not the same," he said.

He remains keen to do as much as possible for himself and exercises regularly in a gym at home. He is also on a restricted diet free of potatoes, bread and pasta to try to keep his weight down.

He tries to get out as much as possible, visiting the Xscape complex in nearby Castleford and once a week he travels to his physiotherapist, Natasha Green, in Wakefield.

"She's a magician," he said. "I have 100 per cent more movement in my hands than I had in hospital."

He also goes swimming at a pool designed for people with mobility problems.

"It's the only place I can fully relax every part of me," he said.

He had feared he would never be able to go in the sea again, but thanks again to a special device he took the plunge on holiday in Spain. "I love to swim. To get into the sea after the injuries I've had is something I really enjoyed," he said.

But the restrictions placed upon him remain frustrating as he relies on his carers for all the things he cannot do himself.

The impact of the crash means his injuries are not just physical. His personality has changed and he has short-term memory problems and difficulties concentrating. Familiar smells or sounds can prompt memories – he was recently talking to a friend's wife and it was only when he heard her voice that he could remember her.

He is an intelligent and resilient man, but also suffers from rapid mood swings although he is intent on avoiding becoming depressed about his situation.

"It's taken me a long time to get used to it – it's hard," he said.

"I have to try and make the best of things and get used to the life I have now and not concentrate on the things that I lost.

"My wife has seen my personality change a lot. I get irritated very easily or angry. It is difficult for her. She's a very caring person and she cannot get used to me having carers myself all the time."

His life is set for another dramatic change when his wife shortly gives birth to their first child thanks to the help of IVF.

"I am looking forward to it so much. I need somebody to spoil," he said.

"I will be able to give some of the things that have been taken away from me to somebody else."

He intends to remain in the UK since the care remains significantly better than in Poland.

"If I'd had the accident in Poland I cannot imagine what would happen – I'd spend the rest of my life in bed," he added.

He said he was indebted to the support of his carers and medical teams as well as to his family for their support and his wife for "being with me in such difficult times".