Jo's Story
Early days
Jo Todd suffered severe traumatic injuries when her vehicle was involved in a head-on collision while she was on a snowboarding holiday in the French Alps. She sustained a fractured pelvis, multiple fractures to both her legs, a broken elbow, humerus and damaged eye socket and jaw.
Jo spent five days in intensive care and a further ten days on the trauma ward in France before being flown back to the UK and transferred to Leeds General Infirmary, where she was put under the care of Professor Giannoudis.
“I wasn’t sure how many surgeries I would have to go through before my fractures would respond to the grafts, however through Professor Giannoudis’ experience, immense knowledge and continuous care, he succeeded, giving me the opportunity to make the best recovery possible.” said Jo.
"Being able to speak to somebody who has been through something similar can be so helpful and reassuring"
Road to recovery
Eventually Jo was well enough to leave hospital to continue her rehabilitation, initially to live at her parents’ house, as her own home was not suitable for a wheelchair.
“I’ve always been quite an independent person, so it was important to me to be able to start doing things for myself quickly."
In addition to all the surgery, Jo required intensive physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to strengthen her limbs and ultimately to learn how to walk again.
Jo is now back to an active life, although she’s accepted she will never be able to do the activities to the level she did before. She uses an e-bike to hit the trails and is also back to running and snowboarding - and she’s even managed to fit in some Taekwondo sessions!
Helping others
Jo has been involved from Day One from its inception, as one of the first board members and now gives her time as a Peer Supporter.
“Not knowing what the future holds during your recovery can be very scary, especially when leaving hospital, not only for the patient but also the family. There are so many questions! That’s why the Peer Support offered through Day One is so important and why I continue to be involved."
“Although the clinical care I received was fantastic, it would’ve been great to have been able to speak to someone to understand what to expect as part of my recovery. It’s also vital that trauma patients can be matched with other people who can empathise with their worries, such as whether they will return to work, when they will walk again, or whether they will be able to drive again" said Jo.
More stories
Regaining my independence
My road to recovery
Closer than ever
