I was told that I could have died because of my injuries

Andreas was spending time at his summerhouse and working in the garden. While trying to cut down the top of a tree with a chainsaw, the branch fell the wrong way, throwing him off a 4-meter-tall ladder and seriously injuring the right side of his body.

The accident left Andreas with dire injuries - a broken skull, four broken ribs, an open broken leg in two places, a broken arm, as well as back and neck injuries. A medical helicopter transported him to the hospital immediately.

“My body needed to be totally fixed. After being in coma for several hours and having had several surgeries, I was waking up and returning to life again. I was told that there was serious damage and that I could have died because of my injuries. I was put in a semi-intensive unit for 4 weeks, before being transferred to another hospital for 2 more weeks”, he says.

After 6 weeks of hospital care, he continued his recovery at home. Injuries on his lower body made it hard for him to walk up the stairs in his home, so he and his family moved into his parents’ ground floor apartment. Andreas’ wife took some time off work to take care of him and their one-year-old son, but he also had nurses visiting.

At his manager’s suggestion, Andreas decided to apply for a grant from the Employee Foundation. “The grant has been helpful in case I needed additional physiotherapy or to hire assistance to help around the house with all the duties I could do before, but not during my recovery.”

Recovery journey

By December, his walking had improved and in January he went back to work, continuing with his role as a Group Insights Manager at VELUX. He started working for a few hours per day and gradually increased the workload.

“My sight isn’t as good and I can’t see very small things on the screen, so sometimes in online meetings I have to stand very close to the screen”, he says, reflecting on how his workday might be different compared to before.

“Luckily, my brain and my knowledge weren’t affected. Some people around me joke that the head injury may have damaged my sense of humor – they told me it got worse”, he laughs.

Andreas has undergone several surgeries since the accident. He had three pieces of metal put in his skull – in his forehead, cheekbone and jaw. He also had surgery on his arm, leg and back.

“The recovery has been hard work and I’m still doing physiotherapy. I have just had an eye surgery to adjust my eye damage, so now I can look straight ahead, however I still don’t see clearly now on my right eye.”

Going through such a distressing event left him worried about what his future might look like.

“The uncertainty of how I will be was filling my head a lot in the beginning. At first I thought – okay, I’m hospitalized, and they will fix me, and I will be good again. Then days and weeks go by, and you get more bad diagnoses.”

His everyday life has seen a substantial change, where he has had to adapt to what daily activities he can and can’t do. Andreas used to bike with his friends or play badminton once a week, which he can’t do anymore. Instead, he chooses to focus on the things he’s able to do and enjoys doing.

“My son was only 15 months old when the accident happened, so I needed and wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be able to play with him. Now, I try to spend time with him and do the things my body allows me to do. We have a boat, so we sail sometimes, which I am fortunately still able to do. Just being alive and seeing my son grow up is what’s important to me.”

You are the result of your preparation

Looking back, more than a year later after, Andreas wants to share his story with the intention of showing people the bigger picture behind his experience.

“Often times, my friends and family will share my story with other people, and it discourages them from doing something that needs to be done. That is not what I want people to get out of my story”, says Andreas.

“My biggest takeaway would be – make sure you are prepared for whatever you are trying to do. Reflect on what you are capable of and have professionals doing what you yourself are not capable of. That has at least been a learning for me - stop and think twice.”

“«You are the result of your preparation». I read that quote while I was at the hospital, and I really thought a lot about it. Going to work, you’ll never go into a meeting unprepared, yet I went to chop up a tree not being prepared enough. We have a lot of activities going on in our workplace to create a safe work environment, but it’s important to bring those things back home. Put safety first at home as well.”