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A 25-year-old man who was confined to a wheelchair after suffering a severe brain haemorrhage – and told his condition would only deteriorate – has found the strength to get back on his feet again.
Sam Hensman, from Adelaide, was left unable to walk or talk after he was diagnosed at the age of 23 with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries to the brain.
The family were told there was nothing they could do as he would continue to suffer bleeding of the brain until he declines into a vegetative state or die.
But against all odds, the brave young man has started walking unassisted after he took some steps on his own in a remarkable recovery.
His fiancee Tess Delony – who he proposed to with a smile after she stayed by his hospital bedside during his 10-month battle – was now hopeful about their future together.
‘I can’t wait for the day we get to just walk down the street holding hands again, and it’s moments like this that really make me feel like that dream isn’t all that far away,’ she said.
Family and friends have been documenting Sam’s remarkable journey on a Facebook page called Get Sam Hensman On His Feet Again.
‘Tiredness is always a big factor after a brain injury…so walking is very tiring,’ one post read.
‘Sam practices small walks each day by holding onto the kitchen stool and sliding it across the floor.
‘He is also still trying very hard to re-learn to talk and now uses his finger to lift his lower lip up to meet his top lip to say “mum”… lots of tears of joy here.
‘We are so proud of his achievements.’
