Leeds General Infirmary: Woman wakes from coma unable to speak - but sings entire Adele song perfectly
A woman woke up from a month-long coma unable to speak - but could sing an entire Adele song perfectly.
Georgia Scully was 23 when she suffered catastrophic injuries in a car crash in Huddersfield two years ago.
She was cut from the wreckage by firefighters and taken to Leeds General Infirmary with broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, damaged lungs, and a severe bleed on her brain, which resulted in a life-changing brain injury.
As she lay in a coma in hospital, her family was told she may never wake up - and even if she did, she may never walk or talk again.
Four weeks later, Georgia did wake up and could not speak. She had also lost movement in her right side resulting in nurses using a hoist to help her move.
Her parents, Sharon and Darren, were given emotional, practical and financial support in hospital by charity Day One Trauma Support.
A caseworker from the charity suggested that her sister Nicole, then aged 21, should create a playlist of Georgia’s favourite songs to help her recovery.
And to everyone’s surprise, Georgia into song when the music played.
She was able to follow the lyrics to Adele’s Someone Like You and Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow – despite not being able to form sentences to tell her parents how she felt.
When Georgia did eventually regain the use of her speech, she was able to share that she thought she was 16 years old and still at school, despite being 23 and working as an office administrator.
Due to post-traumatic amnesia Georgia remained confused for months and is still unable to remember anything about the day and night leading up to the crash.
She was in hospital for four months, learning to walk and talk again, and was fitted with a titanium plate in her skull just before Christmas 2022, resulting in swelling over her eyes, making it difficult to see.
Two years on, she has regained full speech and movement, but is still recovering at home with her parents, returning to the gym and catching a bus on her own for the first time. She’s also lost her sense of smell and taste.
Georgia and her family have shared their story for the first time in a short film to launch Day One Trauma Support’s 2024 Christmas appeal. The charity, founded in Leeds, supports anyone in the UK who has major traumatic injuries.
A Day One caseworker helped the Scully’s with emotional support, an emergency grant to cover costs such as travel and parking, and signposting to legal support.
Between April and September this year, the charity received 1,170 referrals - a 69 per cent increase on the previous six months - gave 6,000 minutes of peer support, and awarded £73,762 in grants.
Day One’s Christmas appeal aims to raise £75,000 so it can provide financial advice and support to people who've suffered a catastrophic injury - helping to improve their well-being and mental health. Thanks to Aviva Community Fund, every £1 donated will be matched, up to £250 per individual.
To donate, go to www.dayonetrauma.org/donate.
Georgia, 25, recalled: “I had been on a night out with my friend, when we accepted a lift home.
“We were on our way home when their car crashed. I don’t remember anything about that night but have been told I was cut free by firefighters.
“While I was in a coma my family were told I had a life-changing brain injury. They had to prepare for the worst. I might not wake up after my operation, and if I did, I might not walk or talk again.”
She continued: “When I woke up, I was confused. I thought I was 16 years old and still at school. I was 23 and had a job. My right side would not work and I couldn’t communicate with my worried parents.
“To everyone’s surprise I could sing. I sang an entire Adele song – word perfect. Music became my solace and I would sing along to a playlist my sister put together for me. She even wrote me a song.
“The biggest impact on me and my family was my brain injury. Surgery meant I had parts of my skull missing. I had a titanium plate fitted a few days before Christmas. This resulted in swelling and I couldn’t see out of one eye.
“The Christmas before my crash I was hardly at home as I met friends and spent time celebrating. Suddenly I was reliant on my parents again. Stuck at home, with a swollen head, unsure of my future.
“Thankfully for us, we had Day One Trauma Support by our side. A caseworker visited my mum on the ward during the early days. And then remained with us throughout my recovery journey.
“She would regularly come and see me and we could chat. Most importantly I knew she was there for my mum and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must have been like for them.”
Georgia added: “People don’t realise the family need support as much as the patient. I still get very confused and muddled. But I think positively about the future now. I have a bus pass, like an old lady, and am starting to go back to the gym.
“It’s taken two years to get this far and I know I have a long way to go. But I have my family, friends and Day One by my side to tackle whatever the future holds. I don’t know what we would have done without Day One Trauma Support in our lives, they were our lifeline in our time of need.”