Getting on with it: Head injury didn't daunt him

Jamie Kidd is guiding his mother Ann.

This is the final of six finalists in the Bell Tea/Herald on Sunday Getting On With It search for special, ordinary people.

The Herald on Sunday is proud to profile people who have rolled up their sleeves and just got on with it. Today we introduce the last of six finalists who win a year's supply of Bell Tea. The overall winner, who also wins an iPad, will be announced next Sunday.

Jamie Kidd
When Ann Kidd injured her head after a fall, her son Jamie was her greatest help. "He brought humour and knowledge, which helped me immensely in managing the cognitive and physical impairments of head injury," says Ann.

This knowledge was first-hand. In 1998, Jamie had been a passenger in a serious car crash that left the 21-year-old unconscious, unable to move, and fighting for every breath.

The doctors at Wellington Hospital were pessimistic. "The neurosurgeon told me that, even if he survived, my son would never walk again," says Ann.

But against the odds he recovered and he is sharing the lessons he learned with his mother. "He has relished repeating the commands I once gave him, and has added pearlers of his own, 'Mum, it is two steps forward, one step backwards, it's a journey'," says Ann.

Jamie's road to recovery was arduous. "A baby could do more than he could," says Ann of her son's condition at the time. But he fought against the perceived wisdom of experts, proving the doctors wrong.

"He slowly made inroads for changes in systems and proved if you put in the hard yards and used experts in the field you get results."

Jamie has always been a fighter - at the time of his crash he was a member of the New Zealand under-23 cycling team. This competitive spirit helped him to summon up strength and courage he needed for recovery.

Sixteen years later and Jamie still feels the effects of his calamitous injury - he tires easily and has problems with memory. But he has regained all the functions doctors predicted he'd lost for good: he works part time, has his own flat and is able to partake in his greatest passion - cycling.

He laughs when told his mother nominated him for the Getting on With It award. "Mum's going to love all that tea," he says.

He remembers nothing of the accident and early recovery, and his first recollections are "not pleasant". But slowly he came to terms with his new reality and restrictions.

"I knew I had to ride again. I started off on a tandem bike, and after a few years made it into the New Zealand Paralympic team."

His story has helped many others deal with the crippling consequences of head injury. Ann has documented his journey in a self-published book which has inspired others.

"We were humbled by the many responses and comments. One reader took a giant leap of faith and followed our path, setting her son up in a home of his own," she says.

Jamie has had another challenge recently; an accident in 2010 saw the end of his competitive cycling career. "I fell and sustained another head injury during a race in Marlborough. This set me back - I had to take some months off work."

But he is biking for enjoyment again and determined to stay positive. "My message for people with head injuries is to leave your old life behind. It's important to know that you can have a great new life as well."

He's sharing that message with his mother as she takes the journey towards her own recovery.