Funds are being raised for a Ledbury man who is learning to walk and talk again after suffering a brain bleed last year.

Mikey Jarrett collapsed in August 2020 and after initially being taken to hospital in Hereford, spent six months in a coma in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The 41-year-old, who was 39 when he suffered the aneurysm, was then transferred to Inspire, a specialist neurocare unit in Worcester, where he has learned to talk again and started to take a couple of steps.

He is now settling into Pirton Grange, a nursing home that cares for adults with acquired brain injuries. His family hope he’ll continue his progress there and will eventually be able to return home.

“One day he was relatively healthy then all of a sudden he collapsed. It was a bit of a shock,” said Mikey’s mum, Roz Jarrett.

“The whole time he was in Birmingham we didn’t see him at all,” she said. “The first time we did, he didn’t recognise us. Thanks to the work they did with him at Inspire, by the third or fourth time we saw him, he was able to fully recognise us.

Ledbury Reporter:

“His short term memory is not good but his long term memory is really good now and you can have a good conversation with him about things that happened in the past. He can’t walk yet - he can only take a couple of steps. We’re hoping with some more physio that he’ll progress even more.”

Mikey, who loves music, golf and watching Arsenal, is in quarantine until December 27 at Pirton Grange but Roz said: “We are hoping against hope that we’ll be able to see him on Christmas Day - even if it’s only on a Zoom call.

“He’ll be doing the physiotherapy to help him walk again. He has his ups and down but is positive and chirpy.

“Years ago he had cancer and we were told then he wouldn’t survive. Quietly, he’s a bit of a fighter.”

Ledbury Reporter:

Mikey raised more than £10,000 for cancer charities after undergoing treatment himself - now it’s brother David Jarrett raising much-needed funds to help Mikey’s recovery.

A raffle with prizes including a £50 Pacific Dove voucher, a £50 vintage clothing voucher, a £25 Cabello gift voucher and luxury food and drink items is being drawn today (Thurdsay, December 23).

Roz thanked local traders for supporting the family’s fundraising efforts.

“Ledbury people have been marvelous in what they’re doing, we’re very lucky to live here,” she said. “The Jarretts are well known in town and people will often stop us in the street and ask how Mikey is doing. It’s remarkable what everyone is doing for Mikey.

“Before the cancer, he used to work in a hotel in Hereford and he loved his job. He’s a people person and he enjoyed meeting so many people.”

The raffle winner will be announced on the Cabello salon Facebook page. If you missed the chance to enter but would still like to contribute towards Mikey’s treatment, pop into Cabello in The Homend.