Raina Heverin, 44, fell two storeys into a courtyard after opening a window beside a Juliet balcony while sleepwalking. She suffered a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung, a broken hip, arm and ribs and spent three weeks in a coma
A mum-of-two was left with a life-changing brain injury after plunging 40ft from a balcony while sleepwalking on holiday in Paris.
The horror unfolded on April 26 last year after Raina Heverin, 44, swapped bedrooms with her brother and sister-in-law at the townhouse where they were staying. She had complained that traffic outside her room at the front of the property had kept her awake. The couple offered her their quieter bedroom at the back, which had a Juliet balcony.
Raina, from Liverpool, Merseyside, went to the room after a day sightseeing but remembers nothing about the fall – and believes she was sleepwalking. At 6am, her brother noticed the bedroom door was open and initially assumed she had gone for a morning run. But her shoes were still inside and the window was open.
When he looked down, he saw Raina lying motionless in the courtyard below. She said: “My brother and sister-in-law were in disbelief. It was really horrible for them.”
The couple did not speak French, but a neighbour helped them call an ambulance.
Raina was rushed to hospital with devastating injuries and remained unconscious for three weeks. She suffered a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung, a broken hip, arm and ribs and spent three weeks in a coma.
Raina said: “I was in Paris for a long weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. We had spent the day walking around Paris – it was awesome, we had food and went everywhere. We went went back to the apartment at about midnight – but I don’t remember anything after that.”
She said: “I had a broken arm and a big scar down my arm, I broke my hip, I punctured my lung, I had lots of broken ribs. If I had been found a few hours later, I definitely wouldn’t be here.”
Before the accident, Raina was an active mum who ran two businesses while raising Cian, 10, and Aliyah, eight. She exercised every day and regularly ran 10km, cycled, lifted weights and attended fitness classes.
A doctor in France later told her family that her physical fitness had helped save her life. Raina spent two months in hospital in France before returning to Britain. She then spent a week at Whiston Hospital and five months at Broadgreen Hospital before moving into a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit in November.
Raina was diagnosed with ataxia, a neurological condition which affects balance, coordination and muscle movement. She also suffered a bleed on the brain and polytrauma – multiple traumatic injuries affecting different areas and systems of the body.
She now struggles to balance and suffers tremors in her hands, body and throat. Raina said: “It’s hard for me to do normal things – like putting on mascara or holding a cup of coffee. Putting make-up on takes a lot longer. I had to re-learn how to do everything.”
Her first memories after waking from the coma are of her husband Michael sitting beside her and reading aloud. She said: “I remember a bit, but I was very disoriented. I didn’t know what the hell had happened.”
She added: “I think I’m still grieving my old life. I go through periods of being happy and sad at the same time. I feel lucky and unlucky. I still feel like I’m in 2025, but it is a year and four months later. The world has kept turning while I’ve been in hospital.”
Raina has now written a children’s book to help Cian and Aliyah understand her brain injury and why their mum has changed. She has also raised more than £4,000 for Liverpool-based The Brain Charity by completing a 5km walking challenge.
Raina walked 40 laps of her garden over four days, supported by friends and relatives while her children held up a banner. She said: “It feels like a massive achievement. I’m excited for the future, because I know it can only get better.”
When asked what she would say to other people in rehabilitation, Raina said: “Don’t give up, keep going. You’re going to have some bad days, but you’re going to have good days too. There’s a life that’s worth living.”