A BLANTYRE man who spent THREE years in hospital following a horrific road accident is getting ready to go home.

Daniel Dixon, 20, was left with a devastating brain injury after being knocked off his bike in Hamilton in May 2020. 

While recovering from a tracheostomy, a procedure which helps oxygen reach the lungs, he became prone to infections and seizures.

Now, ahead of moving into his own custom-built home, Daniel will be one of the first patients at the Briar Centre, a new rehab and brain injury assessment centre in Stonehouse Hospital.

After her son received an emotional send-off from staff at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, Daniel’s mum Debbie said: “We never, ever thought we would see the day Daniel could leave hospital. Today feels like a new beginning for him.

“It is exciting, but also very nerve-wracking as he has been in Hairmyres for such a long time, and we have got to know all the staff here. He has been cared for so well by everyone at the hospital.

“It is amazing that this new centre in Stonehouse has opened up. It’s a great opportunity for Daniel.”

The Briar Centre is a 10-minute walk from Daniel's family home, and his brother Christopher, 17, and sister Amy, 11, plan to visit him every chance they get.

Glasgow Times:

All being well, the plan is for Daniel to move into his new home in the New Year.

Debbie added: “It’s been a long journey and I’ve been pushing for Daniel to have his own place, as I didn’t want him in a care facility at 20 years old.”

Chris Kueh, a consultant in diabetes and endocrinology and the deputy clinical director for medical specialities at Hairmyres, is delighted that Daniel has recovered well and will now be able to rely on the new facility before he gets home.

He said: “In the past, patients like Dan wouldn’t have been able to go to a community-based setting or off-site setting that is appropriate or able to meet his needs.

“That tends to be a limiting factor in defining suitable placement for patients like Dan.

“The builders have been working with his mum Debbie to try and get the necessary changes made to the house being built so it is suitable for Daniel. It will be a much nicer and far more stimulating environment than being in hospital.

“Dan has been a staple of the ward now for so long and we are all so fond of him. He is now in the best position he can be and ready to begin his journey home.”

Professor Soumen Sengupta, director of Health and Social Care, added: “Brain injury can impact on every aspect of a person’s life. We wish Daniel all the best as one of the first patients in this wonderful new facility.

“Our inpatient and community brain injury rehabilitation service is a further example of our commitment to providing increasingly sophisticated care within our communities for our communities.

“This seamless service will smooth the transition from hospital to community rehabilitation and allow patients the best opportunity to return home and to their everyday lives at the earliest opportunity with specialist rehabilitation at every stage of their recovery.

“A huge amount of work has been invested by our dedicated staff in bringing our new Brain Injury Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre to completion and we are really looking forward to how it will enhance the care we can offer to patients and their families across Lanarkshire.”