My man ended up in a coma with 28 broken bones after sleep walking off a balcony
A WOMAN has told how her boyfriend ended up in a coma with 28 broken bones after sleepwalking 80ft off their hotel balcony. Danielle Hickey, 43, from Chislehurst, Kent, was enjoying a romantic getaway to Malta with Paul Cartwright, 45, when he vanished from their bedroom at the Seabank Resort and Spa. Terrified Danielle later […]
A WOMAN has told how her boyfriend ended up in a coma with 28 broken bones after sleepwalking 80ft off their hotel balcony.
Danielle Hickey, 43, from Chislehurst, Kent, was enjoying a romantic getaway to Malta with Paul Cartwright, 45, when he vanished from their bedroom at the Seabank Resort and Spa.
Terrified Danielle later found him semi-conscious in shrubbery below their fourth floor room.
Now, after having surgery on his shattered leg and pelvis, DJ Paul is recovering in a London hospital.
Danielle told Fabulous Digital: “It wouldn’t be the first time Paul has sleep-walked into bother. He’s got a history of raiding the fridge and waking up in strange rooms, but he’s never done anything like this.”
She added: “There was a moment when I did wonder if he was going to make it, but Paul is such a positive force of nature – he was absolutely determined to pull through. He really is lucky to be alive.”
Paul and Danielle jetted out to Malta on August 10 and stayed in Mellieha in the north west of the island. Their first few days were idyllic.
Danielle said: “We hired a car and had a few days sight-seeing, relaxing on the beach and by the pool – your usual holiday stuff.
It was about 12.30am and Paul had vanished
Danielle Hickery
“We were five days into the holiday and had spent the day on the beach.”
She continued: “We came back to the room late afternoon, had dinner at the hotel and then went to a bar over the road for a couple of drinks. We were back in the room by about 11.30pm.
“I don’t smoke, so I stayed in the room while Paul went out on the balcony for a cigarette.
“But I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew I woke up needing the loo. It was about 12.30am and Paul had vanished.
“I looked everywhere, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then I peeked over the balcony.”
He was lying in a flowerbed, partly hidden by shrubbery. I didn’t know if he was alive or dead
Danielle Hickery
To her horror, Danielle saw Paul lying in a crumpled heap below. He had returned to their room, fallen asleep and then sleepwalked off the balcony.
Danielle dashed to the hotel reception and alerted staff, who called emergency services.
She said: “He was lying in a flowerbed, partly hidden by shrubbery.
“I didn’t know if he was alive or dead, but I called his name and he mumbled a reply, which was a huge relief.
“There was no blood, and he didn’t have a mark on him, but it was obvious he was badly hurt and I knew I should leave it to the paramedics to move him in case I did any more damage. All I could do was comfort him until they arrived.”
Paul was taken to Malta’s Mater Dei hospital, where doctors told Danielle he had internal bleeding and needed emergency surgery.
She sat waiting for news while surgeons battled to repair Paul’s shattered pelvis, pin a broken leg and remove a damaged section of bowel.
He’d broken his back, neck, foot, leg, ribs and pelvis. All we could do was wait and see if he had any feeling in his legs
Danielle Hickery
Danielle said: “It was the longest 10 hours of my life. I honestly didn’t know if he was dead or alive or whether – if he pulled through – he was going to walk again.
“About 10am, the doctors told me they’d done all they could and would be keeping Paul in an induced coma to allow his body to heal.
“They’d found 28 broken bones in all, and part of his pelvis had gone into his bowel, which had to be removed.
“He’d broken his back, neck, foot, leg, ribs and pelvis. All we could do was wait and see if he had any feeling in his legs.”
Danielle had to return to the UK for work for a week and Paul’s mum, Linda, and sister, Nicola, flew out to Malta to be at his side.
She jetted back to Malta as Paul was brought round from his coma.
Paul’s so positive. I’m sure that’s why he’s making such a good recovery
Danielle Hickery
Miraculously, he soon regained feeling in his legs and is confident of walking again.
Danielle said: “Paul’s so positive. I’m sure that’s why he’s making such a good recovery.”
Five days ago, insurers arranged a private jet for Paul’s return to the UK after five weeks recovering in Malta – but he said he’ll have to refund the £18,000 cost.
Speaking from his bed in King’s College Hospital yesterday, Paul – dad to twin girls Maya and Ruby, 10, said: “I’ve always been a skinny little runt, and the doctors reckon that’s probably why I’m still alive today.
“Any heavier and I’d have hit the ground with even more of a thump, and probably wouldn’t have made it.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve sleepwalked. An ex-partner used to find me raiding the fridge and munching on raw potatoes in my sleep.
What is sleepwalking?
Sleepwalking, medically known as somnambulism, is the term used to describe someone carrying out activities while they are not fully conscious.
This includes walking around and completing tasks when you’re not awake.
Typically, somnambulism occurs for around ten minutes when you’re in a state of deep sleep.
This is usually in the first few hours after you first doze off.
Sleepwalking tends to affect children more than adults, impacting 20 per cent of kids at some point in their lives.
In the majority of cases, people will stop experiencing somnambulism when they reach puberty.
Medical experts are yet to identify the specific cause of sleepwalking.
Despite this, they believe that you’re likely to experience somnambulism if other members of your family have shown similar behaviours.
The NHS outlines other sleepwalking triggers:
- not getting enough sleep
- stress and anxiety
- infection with a fever (especially in children)
- drinking too much alcohol
- taking recreational drugs
- certain types of medication, such as some sedatives
- being startled by a sudden noise or touch, causing abrupt waking from a deep sleep
- waking up suddenly from a deep sleep because you need to go to the toilet
- experiencing restless legs syndrome
- suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea
While it may be your gut instinct to abruptly awaken a sleepwalker, this isn’t always advisable.
Someone who is semi-conscious may lash out if they are startled during these episodes.
Instead, talking or gently guiding the sleepwalker back to bed is recommended.
If they are putting themselves in danger, try to awaken them softly.
“There have been times when I’ve woken up with rashers of raw bacon under my pillow, and my mum reckons she used to find me fast asleep but playing with my toys on the landing when I was little.”
Paul now faces three months in a body brace, but stood up for the first time on Wednesday.
He said: “I was dizzy. But it felt like a massive step forward.”
He plans to launch his new music website Muusic.io – a social platform which he describes as ‘Facebook for musicians’ – from his hospital bed next week.
Meanwhile Paul has started a JustGiving page to help fund his recuperation.
Donate to his cause here.
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We previously told you about a 20-year-old student hasn’t had a proper night’s sleep in FOUR years because she sleepwalks.
Nancy Lewendon also battles extreme night terrors that leave her feeling panicked during the night.
In October 2016, chronic sleepwalker Mel Ould spoke about living with somnambulism.
The 23-year-old admitted that she is able to make cups of tea and get ready for work when she’s not fully awake.
And the bizarre cases don’t end there.
An Aberdeen sleepwalker recalled walking one mile in her sleep to fetch a watermelon from Asda.
And mum Gill Vickers admitted that somnambulism turns her into a violent, knife-wielding boozer.