David White's Story: From TBI Survivor to Brain Injury Group Ambassador

We’re proud to announce that David White has joined Brain Injury Group as our Ambassador. His remarkable journey from traumatic brain injury survivor to award-winning advocate makes him a powerful voice and representative for the brain injury community.

David’s Brain Injury Story: How it Began

Back during COVID, David White (28 at the time) was out with his friends returning from a paintball game.

On the way back to the car park, he fell and hit his head on something – causing his skull to fracture.

He has no memory of the event, but from what he was told, he couldn’t feel the left side of his body and ended up having a seizure. An air ambulance came out to put him in a medically induced coma at the scene; they couldn’t get him into the helicopter due to not being able to lift him over a hedge, so they took him in a road ambulance to the hospital instead.

When he finally awoke and became stable, they moved him out of intensive care and into high dependency. This was followed by the neuro ward, then other facilities for rehab and cranioplasty.

A titanium plate was placed inside his skull to protect his brain and restore the natural shape of his head, which had been impaired with a visible dent.

Bound by social distancing rules, he was alone for six months after the injury; in the hospital, his mental health began to really suffer.

His memory of this period was hazy at best. In retrospect, he learned that he was not accepting of the injury and believed he was able to leave the hospital and return to work – even though he couldn’t physically move his left side.

This experience marked the beginning of both his head trauma recovery and a long process of rebuilding his life as a whole.

The Start of David’s Rehabilitation Journey

Coming home months after the incident, his mental health was, as he describes, atrocious.

David recalls suffering a little with OCD before the incident; afterwards, this was amplified, and he struggled to find ways to cope in his condition.

Physically, David’s mobility was very limited, so one of the top priorities was to get him moving. He left the hospital in a wheelchair, then gradually transitioned from a Zimmer frame to a tri-walker to a hiking pole.

He had many falls whilst learning to walk, which led to him needing shoulder surgery. His rehab went on solidly for around three years, and he still goes to physio regularly today.

He recalls having a lot of botox to relax his muscles: this essentially works by blocking nerve signals that tell muscles to over-contract.

Since he couldn’t return to his job as an engineer and didn’t want his life to consist of rehab alone, he decided to take up sports and try out being a Paralympian!

Returning to His Life: A New Chapter

David started out with shotput and discus for about a year, competing in Cardiff and Belfast to get classified. However, he struggled to balance on his left leg very well, which put him at a massive disadvantage. He also tried canoeing but soon found that he couldn’t swim.

So, he decided to try something else.

His mum mentioned to him that he would be better going and talking to people who were in the ward he was in a few years ago. He thought, why not, and enquired.

He soon started on University Hospital Llandough’s West 10 Rehabilitation Ward and began talking to patients. His aim was to let them know that despite how tough it could be, life could still go on after severe brain injury. He also answered questions about the future and, essentially, became both a friend and a beacon of support.

Shaping His Life-Altering Injury into Purpose

Around this time, David started an online chatroom for people with brain and spinal injuries and began to think about starting NeuroBuds – a bigger, community-based enterprise.

After five years of head trauma recovery, he is now running a family and friends’ group on the ward with Headway Cardiff, which takes place twice a month.

His achievements on paper for his unwavering determination to help others include:

Winning the UK National Health Heroes Healthcare Volunteer of the Year in 2025

Being nominated and becoming a finalist for Headway Alex Richardson Achiever of the Year Award in 2025
Winning the Wales Social Enterprise StartUp of the Year Award in 2025

NeuroBuds has now blossomed into a fully-fledged support network. Its honourable aim is to bring people who suffer from brain and spinal injuries together for peer support.

Reflecting on all that he has done for others after his life-changing injury, which he still manages every day, David says:

Despite the challenges of a traumatic brain injury, I can honestly say
I'm living my best life yet."

David White & Brain Injury Group

On top of everything else he has achieved, David will now be expanding his support efforts even more by acting as the Brain Injury Group Ambassador.

David will be an absolute credit to us and the work we do here at Brain Injury Group. His lived experience, peer approach and persevering attitude will be invaluable in supporting fellow brain injury survivors – helping them to navigate their own complex journeys from the earliest opportunity and access holistic support.

David also working with us to set up NeuroBuds Hub in Newport: a space dedicated to people with brain injuries, their families and carers.

If David’s brain injury story resonated with you, or you have a family member who could benefit from similar support, don’t hesitate to get in touch.