A best friend’s birthday celebration left Sophie Bracken with life-changing injuries
When Sophie Bracken collapses back into her wheelchair after her daily walk, she marvels that she’s still alive – because a friend’s birthday celebration ended in disaster when Sophie fell 40ft from a balcony.
Sophie, 23, was left with 39 breaks in her bones. Doctors feared she’d be paralysed or lose the ability to walk. She says, “I just wanted some fresh air when I fell from the balcony of my friend’s flat. Every time I’m low or in pain, I just remind myself of how lucky I am to be alive.”
QUEASY
On the day of her accident, in September last year, Sophie, who was staying at the family home to care for her dad, made sure he was OK before setting off. She says, “He’d just had open heart surgery three days before, and I was helping to look after him. But it was also my best friend Emily’s 24th birthday, and Dad was adamant that I go and enjoy the celebrations with her.”
The birthday bash began with a bottomless brunch in Manchester city centre. She says, “The drinks were flowing, and it was lovely to relax. I was having such a good time that I decided to stay out with my friends rather than getting the last train home. My friend Candice had an apartment near the station, and she said I could stay with her.”
When Sophie arrived at the flat around 1.30am, Candice let her in and then had to pop out to walk another friend to the bus stop. Sophie says, “A few minutes after Candice left, I started to feel a little queasy, so decided to get some air.
“Her apartment was an old converted office building, four storeys up, so I opened the window. The ledge outside was big enough to sit out on and having sat there before, I felt safe to hop out again. “I pushed up on to the palms of my hands to get outside – but suddenly slipped. I tumbled out of the window, though somehow managed to grab hold of the ledge.”
SHATTERED
In a state of pure shock, Sophie didn’t fully register the severity of the situation. In an attempt to haul herself up and over the slightly damp window ledge, she lost her grip and plummeted 40ft down to the pavement below.
“Everything happened so quickly that I could barely register it,” she says. “I landed on the left side of my body and then, moments later, the pain set in. I screamed out, but it was about 2am and Candice lived down a quiet side street, so there was nobody around. Three cars passed me, but I couldn’t get up off the ground to be seen, and they didn’t hear my cries.”
After what felt like a lifetime, a taxi pulled up and a young girl
