Steven Simmons woke up just days ago to find that his life had changed forever.  The 25-year old had been working full-time in a glass factory and picking up security gigs at festivals during the summer. Coming up to the August Bank Holiday, Steven was setting up tents for the All Together Now festival in Waterford. That done, the plan was to head home to Roscrea, but Steven decided to stay on a bit longer with friends. Driving back on August 2nd, Steven was a passenger in a car involved in a serious road traffic accident. He was badly injured and woke up days later in the Dublin’s Mater Hospital. On The Ryan Tubridy Show, he described his first impressions as he came to:

"I actually thought I was on a boat, it must have been the tablets, I thought I was on a boat. I couldn't move. There was somebody lying across from me and I wasn't able to move. But obviously I was paralysed from the chest down, so I couldn't move, that's the first thing I noticed."

The doctors told Steven he would never walk again and that he was lucky to be alive, due to the severity of his injuries. Steven spoke to Ryan from Clarinbridge Care Centre, where he’s currently living. Steven has nothing but praise for the medical care he has received, and continues to get at Clarinbridge. Ryan asks Steven about his mood; how is he coping and is he getting counselling? Steven says no, and explains why not:

"They asked me about counselling, but I just didn't think I needed it. And then when I went to the N.R.H., they had a psychiatrist up there; Maeve was her name. And she was just absolutely brilliant. I was just so positive, that she said I didn't need it: that I didn't need counselling, that I just could manage it myself. Which I think I can, anyway. I took it well."

Steven says he's been surrounded by support on every side:

"My old life is dead, but I'm starting a new life now, that I'm happy to start. And the support of people around me, the carers in Clarinbridge, The NRH, Waterford Hospital, The Mater Hospital, my family, my friends, it's been amazing. I can never thank them enough; they've done so much for me."

One of the biggest changes in Steven's life is that he can longer live with his grandparents, Paddy and Bridget. Ryan asks if he was their carer, but Steven says it wasn't exactly like that:

"I wasn't their carer, I was just there helping them. Just if they needed stuff done, like. They're old, they're pushing on now. Filling barrels of turf for them, bringing out the bins for them, annoying them, you know yourself."

The grandparents visit at the weekends, as do his parents. With the Covid-19 restrictions, Steven can only have those same four visitors coming to see him regularly in Clarinbridge. He says he's happy enough, especially to see his favourite visitor:

"My nanny, Bridget. I hope no one takes offence to that! Just, I'm so close to her, so close."

Steven says he's very well looked after in Clarinbridge, but some things are irreplaceable:

"I miss being there, I miss, do you know what I miss? What I miss most are her lamb chops!"

Ryan admits to being partial to a lamb chop himself, and wants to know the exact ingredients of the ideal nanny Bridget dinner. Steven’s happy to oblige:

"Lamb chops. 6 or 7 lamb chops and a plate of chips."

After the accident, Steven's priority was to raise money for the Mater Hospital, where he spent 12 hours in surgery. He has already raised over €1,200 and the efforts are ongoing.  Ryan wants to know why Steven didn't put his own fundraising first:

"Because I wanted to give back to the Mater, because they literally saved my life there."

Steven now needs €82,000 to adapt his parent's home in Roscrea so he can move in. His long-term ambition is to open a wheelchair-accessible gym in his home town. Meanwhile, He’s keeping busy with physio, chilling out to Luke Kelly on Alexa and there's sport available on telly, 24-7. Still, nobody serves up lamb chops like his nanny Bridget, try as they might. Ryan jokes about smuggling nanny Bridget into the kitchen at Clarinbridge and Steven said yes, that would be brilliant:

"That would be a dream come true."

Hear more about the care staff Steven calls his "sisters" and his fundraising campaign for the Mater Hospital, as well as his own fundraising campaign in the full interview with Ryan here.

You can find Steven's Gofundme campaign to raise money for home adaptation here.

 Ruth Kennedy