Brain Injury Survivor set to inspire the Youths of London

Mardiwriter, Philip Watling, survivor of a traumatic car crash, speaks as a beneficiary at Ernst & Young event about his acquired brain injury.

Emma Cowley, the Publications Editor at the Brain and Spine Foundation is developing a mobile app for young people (aged 13-19) who have suffered with an acquired brain injury – and their parents or carers – to help them in their day to day life.

Concurrently, Ernst & Young’s charity, the EY Foundation, was suggested using the app for the ‘Dragon’s Den’ day section of their ‘Smart Futures’ programme. On the 20^th July the young people will be using the app as a ‘real life’ case study to pitch to a board of ‘dragons’ as a training exercise for part of this ongoing summer programme.

Philip Watling, who has written his inspiring autobiography, Flight of a Lifetime, has been asked by the EY Foundation to talk with, and give insight to, the young people about his acquired brain injury and show that that there is the possibility of a hopeful future after such life-changing traumatic injuries.

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Flight of a Lifetime Synopsis

After university Philip Watling got his dream job: working with horses. All was going well for him until December 1994 when his life was to change forever. Crossing the road on the way to work, a car smashed into his legs causing him to fall on the bonnet and dislocate his shoulder. As the car braked he bounced off it, cracking his head against the side of the bus causing a massive head injury and his heart to stop beating… he died… for a few seconds.

Fortunately death wasn’t terminal and since being hit by that car and his subsequent unexpected recovery he has gone through a period of great change and has learned many things; having experiences he did not understand he also saw things mankind maybe should not see. He started writing these things down… What started as an autobiography about life, death and an unexpected resurrection has evolved into a truly inspirational book that will make the reader laugh and cry, often at the same time. Yet, in spite of its theme, it is not a miserable book – he wrote about his death and has even at times managed the not straightforward task of making the whole thing funny!