True Trauma Tales is a new podcast from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), telling the moving and intimate stories of six people treated at Leeds Major Trauma Centre, following life-changing injuries.
Their true-life stories are told for the first time on podcast, together with unique insights from medical and support specialists from the Major Trauma Centre team who cared for them.
The stories told in this podcast are by turns compelling, terrifying, and moving. They include those of a pregnant woman who was accidentally run over by her mother, a nineteen-year-old who was hit by a tractor, and a rock climber who suffered a 20-metre fall down a mountainside.
Major Trauma refers to serious injury or multiple injuries, which could result in disability or death. Injuries include severe head, chest, abdominal and skeletal injuries.
Mr Nik Kanakaris, Orthopaedics Consultant and Clinical Lead of the Leeds Major Trauma Centre, said: “We have an exceptional team here in Leeds and we create very close relationships with our patients, some of whom will be with us for a long time. It’s an incredible honour to work here and to help rehabilitate patients after a major trauma, and I’m so pleased that some of our patients have felt brave enough to share their stories, now that they have moved through their recovery.
“The Leeds Major Trauma Centre is the second busiest trauma centre in the country and we recently just marked our 10th anniversary. I’ve been here from the start and in that time we have helped more than 16,000 patients. I am delighted that the talented team of professionals that includes surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation physicians, specialist nurses, clinical psychologists – and more, are able to help tell these stories from their unique perspectives. It’s a great listen.”
In the first episode – airing Tuesday 13 February – Vikki Lane talks about the day her mum accidentally ran over her in her car, when she was 36 weeks pregnant. We also hear from Dave Nichols from Day One Trauma Support, the charity set up by lead trauma surgeon at Leeds and internationally acclaimed Professor Peter Giannoudis, MBE.
Dave Nichols, Communications Manager, Day One Trauma Support, said: “In the briefest of moments, a catastrophic injury can shatter someone’s life, with the impact on them and their loved ones hard to overstate. The amazing team in Leeds do a fantastic job putting people back together and we’re here to help rebuild the rest of their life by helping with the emotional, practical and financial support they need.
“As you will hear over the course of these podcasts, recovery from major trauma is long and complex, with people facing incredible challenges that they never imagined. We’re proud to have played a small role in these people’s lives and are forever grateful to people like Vikki for sharing their story, fundraising, and helping shape Day One so that we can ensure no one is left to cope on their own after major trauma.”
More than half of major trauma cases in the UK are caused by road traffic collisions and falls, and Trauma is recognised as the main cause of death for people under the age of 45 and is a major cause of debilitating long-term injuries.
New episodes air weekly from Tuesday 13 February. True Trauma Tales is available on all good podcast platforms or listen on our website.