Alfred Health News

In November 2014, Diego Mercado was enjoying the freedom of riding his motorbike around the beautiful Marysville hills with his friends. He remembers stopping for lunch and then nothing else.

"The first time I opened my eyes was a week later and my mum was there. I thought I was dreaming as mum lives far away in Colombia," Diego said.

"I was in a dark room, both arms were broken and I couldn't move my head. I thought I was having a nightmare. It took a month to realise what was happening and that I had almost died."

Diego's motorbike had brushed against a car then crashed into a ditch at high speed.  He was airlifted to The Alfred in a critical condition, suffering multiple traumatic injuries, including a broken neck, two forearm fractures, a brain injury and nerve root avulsion to the brachial plexus. This final injury saw the brachial plexus - a network of nerves running from the spine through the neck and into the arm - ripped away, leaving no movement or sensation in the right arm. 

Diego spent 10 days in ICU and another two weeks in the trauma ward.  He arrived at Caulfield Hospital's newly opened Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre on Christmas Eve, still in a very fragile state, suffering significant delirium and post traumatic amnesia.

Senior Occupational Therapist Danielle Sansonetti treated Diego most days over his five month ABI Unit inpatient stay.

"Diego had a really active mind in a body that was not functioning at all," she said.

"Added to his complex injuries, he couldn't walk due to poor balance from the brain injury."

Diego has come a long way since those early, confused days, undergoing numerous operations to reconstruct his right arm by transferring muscles from his leg to his bicep and tricep. A right-hander, this injury and the loss of his sense of smell has been the most difficult for the 29-year-old chef.

Now part of the ABI outpatient community team, he is undertaking ongoing physiotherapy, hand therapy and occupational therapy.

"I've had to learn to walk again and how to write left handed. I started from zero. I went from being in a coma to a wheelchair, walking by myself and now I run every day," Diego said.

With his proud mum cheering him on at the finish line, Diego remarkably completed the 10km Run Melbourne event last July, with his injured arm strapped to his side.

"I have always been a very strong minded person; I enjoy pushing myself to the limits," he added.