An Orpington man whose active life was shattered by a spontaneous brain bleed has been nominated for a national award following his dramatic recovery.

Peter Brown, 29, suffered a rare type of stroke in 2018 on the way home from a typical Saturday playing football, followed by drinks in a local pub.

Shortly after setting off, he was found at the bottom of a train station staircase, having broken his eye socket and almost bitten through his own tongue.

After being rushed to hospital, he was placed into an induced coma to stabilise his condition, which he remained in for 24 hours as his family feared the worst.

In the early days of recovery, he struggled with short-term memory loss and was unable to recall the day’s events.

On top of that, he was experiencing communication problems, chronic fatigue and mobility issues.

Headway – the brain injury association - was able to help Pete’s family during a tough few months.

“When I had trouble communicating, staff at Headway were able support my family,” said Pete. “They reassured them that what I was going through was normal within the recovery phase.

“Headway was also there for me as I began to learn more about the effects of my injury. I relied on the advice and support of the helpline staff – the service was so helpful.”

Pete was discharged from hospital after just two and a half weeks, and began a return to work programme enabling him to return to his role as a Bank Manager on a full-time basis just a few months later.

A year after the accident, and three weeks after he got married, Pete ran the London Marathon to show his support for the work of the national brain injury charity.

Pete said: “I ran the London Marathon for Headway because I wanted to give something back. The charity had done so much for me and my family during my recovery. It’s just an incredible cause.

“Not only that, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I could still do the things I used to be able to do. The London Marathon felt like the perfect challenge for me.”

His dedication has earned him his nomination for Achiever of the Year at Headway’s annual awards ceremony.

The winner of the accolade, which is sponsored by Slater & Gordon Lawyers, will be announced at the awards luncheon on December 6 at the Intercontinental London Park Lane, Mayfair.

“It was all a bit of a shock when I found out I had been nominated,” said Pete. “It’s so amazing to be recognised for my efforts to help Headway and raise awareness of brain injury.

“There are so many people doing amazing work to help improve the lives of brain injury survivors and to be appreciated as one of those people feels great!”