When I woke up from the coma, I didn’t know who I was... I couldn’t walk, talk or recognise most people

Jamil Hussain, 35, was driving down the M69 when he suffered a seizure behind the wheel - resulting in a horror accident that left him in a coma for three months. He was soon diagnosed with limbic encephalitis - a rare neurological condition that causes inflammation in the brain, leading to epilepsy and severe memory loss.

Mr Hussain woke up from a coma with no memory of who he was, unable to walk, talk, or even recognise himself. He spent 18 months relearning how to how to walk, talk, and live independently again.

Mr Hussain from Lockleaze in Bristol said: "When I woke up, I didn’t know who I was or how to do anything. I couldn’t walk, talk or even recognise most people - only my mum. I remember seeing her and knowing who she was but not being able to speak. It was terrifying.

“I look back now and realise how far I’ve come in my journey. I want to be that beacon of light for others who are in still in the thick of their difficult times, helping them see a way through."

Mr Hussain was driving down the M69 during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 when the crash happened. After six months in Leicester General Hospital and later Bristol Southmead Hospital, Jamil was transferred to Cygnet Brunel - a 32-bed neuropsychiatric hospital in Henbury, where he slowly learned to walk, talk, cook, and live independently again.

He is now back behind the wheel, having retaken his driving test, and continues to manage his condition with medication. Mr Hussain said: “My mum was the driving force behind my recovery. She’s my inspiration, and I owe it all to her.

"She gave me the strength to come back stronger, and now I can be that strength for others.”

Now, he uses that his journey to inspire and support others in his role as an Expert by Experience at the Cygnet Health Care service. “I’m like the bridge between the staff and the service users,” Jamil said. “I’m empathetic and non-judgmental. I only speak from my own experience, and that helps me show others that they are safe, supported and not alone.”

Jamil is now a trusted mentor to patients and a valuable guide for staff, helping both understand each other better, building trust, and showing that recovery is life-changing. At Cygnet Brunel, Jamil slowly began to rebuild his life, relearning everyday tasks and regaining his independence.

He said: “I like to view myself as a mentor. You have to be in tune with staff so you’re all on the same page, but also build trust with the patients. I want them to feel as safe as I did when I was there.”

He added: “It’s so important that we listen and act on what they tell us, no matter how big or small their ideas and feedback might be, so they know they’re being heard and that their voices matter. For me, when I was in hospital, it was so frustrating because your brain is telling you one thing but your body's doing another.

“You feel really vulnerable and you have to trust these people who you’ve never met before. It showed me the importance of how you speak to people and interact with them. The importance of that first impression for building trust."

For Jamil, each visit to a Cygnet Health Care service is a chance to learn, connect and give back. “It gives me purpose,” he said. “I want to show people there is light at the end of the tunnel. Life can be even better than it was before.”