A Penrith roofer who is lucky to be alive after breaking his back in a fall while at work now needs intensive physiotherapy to help him get back on his feet.
Rob Birkbeck, 39, of Carleton Meadows, was in the process of taking out glass skylight windows from a barn roof at Plumpton when the accident happened on May 4. It was his third day on the job and as usual he was working on his own.
“He had taken the glass out and was just tapping the old frame when he went through with it. He fell into the barn,” said Rob’s partner, 39-year-old Leanne Hudson.
In severe pain and gasping for breath, Rob managed to reach his phone and call for help.
He suffered multiple injuries in the fall — as well as a broken back, he punctured a lung, and had fractures to his ribs, shoulder and collar bone, plus a thumb and toe. There was also a big gash to the back of his head which had to be stapled.
“If he had not been able to call for help himself he definitely would have died from his punctured lung alone,” said Leanne.
The air ambulance crew were first to reach Rob. They could see where his van was from the location he had given them and were able to find him, said Leanne.
Rob was then taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and had surgery that afternoon to stabilise is broken back.
“On the day of the accident and for a little while afterwards there was no feeling below his knee, but then sensations started to come back and then movement, but he still can’t walk.
“He needs intensive physio now to get back up on his feet,” said Leanne.
After five weeks at the major trauma centre, intensive care and neurology ward at Newcastle’s RVI, Rob was transferred to the James Cook Hospital spinal injuries unit in Middlesbrough for three weeks before returning home.
“We thought that there he would be given intensive rehab to get walking again, but that was not really the case. He was receiving just one slot of physio a day and that was it. He didn’t really have access to any other facilities like hydrotherapy or swimming or gym or any of the specialist kit that you need to get back up on your feet,” said Leanne.
After looking at was available to them locally, they made contact with Jubilee House at Eamont Bridge which offers rehabilitation services to injured firefighters.
“We have spoken to the staff there and they are happy to work with him,” said Leanne.
At Jubilee House they have all the facilities necessary to help Rob fully recover, but the care needs to be paid for privately and it costs £1,500 for an intensive four-day programme.
“We have been really lucky that it is just there (on the doorstep almost),” said Leanne. “But nobody has any idea how long it is going to take. Everybody is different.
“His progress has been quite quick and we are hoping that the momentum continues and his rehab goes as quick, but you just don’t know.”
Rob’s sister, Levi, has set up an online fundraising page for him which has got off to a flying start with over £5,400 having already been donated.
Rob and Leanne would like to thank his family and friends for their support and messages received over the last few weeks.
“Special thanks to Mam (Christine Oliver) Roy Oliver and Levi Oliver, who have been beyond amazing. We are so grateful to everybody who has contributed and for their support and well wishes while he has been in hospital. It has meant a lot while he has been so poorly,” said Leanne, who added that Rob used to be a regular at the Elite gym in Penrith.
The also thanked the Great North Air Ambulance Service and RVI, Newcastle, for saving his life and the regional spinal injuries unit at the James Cook Hospital for their expert care thereafter.
Penrith-born and bred, Rob attended the town’s Ullswater Community College before becoming a roofer and has had his own business, RB Roofing Services, for about 20 years. Leanne and Rob have one child, Rocco, aged eight.
