Spirited Kyle defeats the odds
A horrific accident forced Durban North resident, Kyle Notley, to undertake years of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. He is now spreading a message of hope.
IMAGINE waking up in the hospital one day unable to recall your own name or recongising the faces of concerned family and friends, and unable to speak, walk or eat. That was the frightening reality for Durban North resident, Kyle Notley, after he had been involved in a terrible accident at the age of 16.
On 12 December 2006, the former Oakridge College pupil, was riding his motorcycle along Beachway, near Northlands Girls’ High School, when he was struck by a vehicle. Notley was flung 20 meters through the air before his body hit the ground. As luck would have it, an off-duty paramedic and neurosurgeon travelled past the accident scene and stopped to assist. On scene they discovered that Notley’s helmet slipped off of his head during the collision and he had subsequently sustained serious head trauma. The young boy’s prognosis did not look promising.
Bewildered and confused, Notley woke up from a 12 day coma at the uMhlanga Hospital on Christmas Eve, unable to function as the adventurous and spirited teen he had been less than a month ago. He had undergone two emergency craniotomies to relieve the pressure in his brain, and had been essentially brain dead.
Notley had been staying with his father at the time of the accident, and his mother, who lived in Johannesburg, had rushed down to be by his side. “It was an experience that I can not explain. It was frightening, debilitating and frustrating. There were times that I wanted to give up, but my mother was my rock. She never left my side. My dad, step dad and brothers were also a huge support,” said Notley.
Since the tragic accident Notley has had to endure years of training to recover his abilities to walk, talk, eat and write. “I was like a baby. I had to learn everything from scratch. I had to undergo intense rehab and physio therapy, as the right side of my body had been paralyzed after the accident. I would often get emotional and frustrated when I could not do basic tasks. To this day I have to take medication to help me with my memory, but I know I have come along way,” he said.
At the age of 24, Notley is determined to raise awareness, not only regarding road safety, but also of peoples’ ability to overcome the seemingly impossible. “People need to know that they can do anything with the right support and attitude. Never give up,” he said. In addition he hopes to pursue a career as a graphic designer.
