True believer

February 27 2003 is a date that will forever be etched into the memory of Rehana Patel. Because it was on that day the 30 year-old mother of two was involved in a horrific car accident that nearly killed her.

The final year degree student was hospitalised for four and half months and spent twelve days in a coma. This month against all odds the battling mum was at her degree ceremony at Guild Hall, Preston with her loving husband and family to pick up her BA in Nursing. A University of Central Lancashire degree certificate for which she finished her final assignments from a hospital bed.

She told us, "I was determined to finish my degree but the past ten months have put everything into perspective."

Rehana was in a back seat of a car with her children when another vehicle ploughed into the side of their car. She felt the full force of the impact. Her children, daughter Hennah and son Mohammed were injured as was her brother Riaz and passenger Anjam. Fire crews had to cut them from the wreckage and Rehana who suffered the most horrific injuries was rushed to hospital with multiple injuries.

Her husband, Altaf, 30 had been notified of the accident and arrived at the hospital before the ambulances. When he saw five ambulances pull up he knew something serious had happened. He said, "Because they had taken so long to cut her free I was at the hospital before she was. I would normally have taken the route past where the accident happened but for some reason I didn't."

Rehana had broken her ribs, hips and pelvis. She was suffering from breathing problems and had serious internal bleeding. Her stomach had ripped and her lungs had punctured.

Rehana said, "I can't remember but my husband recalled me lying there and telling him something inside was not right. I told him to listen carefully and tell the doctors that I needed an internal scan. I was then immediately transferred to an operating theatre."

After an eight hour operation Rehana's chances of survival remained very slim.

Altaf added, "Myself and Rehana's father Siraj, were pulled aside by one of the surgeons and told she would do well to survive for a couple of days. But I refused to give up and never once lost faith in her. Other people who saw her after the accident seemed pessimistic but I never gave up hope."

"I never ate or slept for days after the accident. I couldn't believe what was happening."

Rehana lapsed into a coma after the operation and was transferred first to Preston ICU and then to the Neurosurgeon Department of Preston Royal Hospital. She came out of the coma after two weeks and then the long road to her remarkable recovery began.

"I was a horrific sight and people who came to visit didn't even recognise me. I was completely paralysed when I awoke and the first thing I thought about was my children.

"My son, Mohammed, saw me four weeks after the accident and I'll never forget the look on his face. He just seemed so surprised. It was as if he had already decided I was never going to survive."

Rehana ramained in hospital until June and spent her final month there finishing her assignments for her degree. She had completed her final year exams in January.

"My lecturers would come and visit me and see me diligently working away. They were more shocked at seeing me sit up than anything else."

"It was an absolutely fantastic feeling collecting the degree."

Altaf couldn't hold back the emotions and said: "I am the proudest husband alive and when she was helped up on to the stage it was one of the happiest days of my life."

The couple of Pleck Farm Avenue, Blackburn say the past ten months have given them new sense of purpose and helped them realise what they mean to each other.

"The whole experience has brought me and my husband even closer and through the pain and the anguish we love each other even more."

"It's just so amazing how some people helped us out in hour of need, especially caring for the kids and we would like to thank each and every one of them."

They had a long list of people they wanted to thank which included Syed Mohammed Hashmi Ashrafi for his guidance, their uncle (the late) Haji Suleman Mohmed, Auntie Amina, Mustak, Yaqub, Latifa and Farida and family. Their other aunt and uncle, Musa and Khurshid Natha, Asema, Mukhtar, Altaf Ali, Nashrin, Ashraf. Bashir Natha, Hanifa and family. The UCLAN lecturers. They had special thanks for Rehana's brother and father.

"We feel like thanking everyone for their help during this difficult time." added Altaf.

Rehana though seemed a lot more philosophical, "First of all I thank Allah for bringing me back for my children and my husband for his support. I also never lost faith in my mother's prayers and always felt she was with me." Rehana's mum died after a long illness in 1990.