Physio, fate and a friendship forged through life-changing injury

By Mike McBride

BBC News NI

Friendships can start all sorts of ways – but not many relationships begin by bonding over life-changing injuries.

That’s how Brooke Canning and Jennifer Smyth, both from County Londonderry, came together.

Brooke, from Ballykelly, was 16 when she suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a road accident in April 2022.

Nine years earlier, Jennifer, a Northern Ireland gymnastics champion, was paralysed in a freak accident when practicing a vault. She was also a teenager.

It was Jennifer who heard about what happened to Brooke and got in touch, offering to meet – and that initial contact has developed into a close friendship.

The injuries may have been a cruel twist of fate for both to endure but, as they said, it brought them together – something they view as one of the many positives to take from the accidents that changed their lives.

For Jennifer, from Eglinton, not many people could understand what Brooke was going through – but she could better than most.

She became quadriplegic, which is a partial or total loss of use of all four limbs and torso, after the accident at her local gym.

“I was practising a new vault, which is known as a handspring front somersault, for an upcoming competition,” she said.

“When I landed, I landed on my back and when I tried I just couldn’t move and couldn’t get up – it was a complete freak accident.”

Last year, Brooke also became quadriplegic after her accident.

“I was rushed to Altnagelvin Hospital and was then taken to the Royal [Victoria] Hospital in Belfast for emergency repair work on my neck,” she said.

“I then spent eight weeks in ICU, then another four weeks in a ward in the Royal in Belfast and then three months in Musgrave Hospital.”

For Brooke, life after the accident meant ups and downs throughout her time in various hospitals. It was, she admitted, a lot to deal with at a young age.

Enter Jennifer, a complete stranger to her at the time, who offered support and someone to talk to during an incredibly difficult period.

Jennifer said a spinal cord injury was hard for anyone to deal with on their own – which was one reason she wanted to speak to Brooke.

“I remember whenever I was injured, I was desperately Googling away trying to find someone who was similar to me,” she said.

“I related a lot to Brooke because she was a similar age to what I was when I had my injury and it’s a similar level [of injury] as well.”

Brooke described her and Jennifer as having a shared bond and said she is determined to “accept her new life” and achieve all of her goals – of which there are many.

“It felt good to know there was someone who has experienced a similar situation to me,” Brooke said.

“A lot of people say they understand, but they don’t – they can’t.”

Jennifer believes her gymnastics background big reason behind her positivity.

“Having been a gymnast for 12 years prior it taught me determination, it taught me never to give up and I have carried that on,” Jennifer said.

“Life is not over after a spinal cord injury and I haven’t let it stop me doing things that I want to do.

“It’s a new life, it’s a different life, but it can be a great life.”

Since their initial meeting, Jennifer and Brooke have spent time together over coffee and lunches, where they discuss everything from how their physiotherapy is coming along, to family life and their love of blogging.

Both share regular updates on their social media channels about the many milestones they’ve achieved in their rehabilitation.

What they hope is that others with a life-changing injury know there are others like them out there – and there will always be someone to talk to who understands.