Sleepwalking mum plunges 40ft from balcony on holiday leaving her with life-changing brain injury

A SLEEPWALKING mum-of-two plunged 40ft from a balcony while on holiday in Paris, leaving her with a life-changing brain injury. Raina Heverin was left with a bleed on the brain after semi-consciously opening a window and plummeting two storeys into a courtyard. Raina Heverin, 44, suffered life-changing injuries after plunging from a balcony while on holiday Credit: SWNS The mum-of-two from Liverpool now struggles with her balance and experiences tremors Credit: SWNS She also suffered a punctured lung, broken hip, arm and ribs, and spent three weeks in a coma. Raina, 44, said: “I was in Paris for a long weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “We had spent the day walking around Paris – it was awesome, we had food and went everywhere. “We went back to the apartment at about midnight – but I don’t remember anything after that.” Raina spent three weeks in a coma after her accident Credit: SWNS She has written a children’s book to educate her two children on her condition Credit: SWNS The accident happened on April 26 last year after Raina swapped bedrooms with her brother and sister-in-law at the townhouse where they were staying. She had struggled to sleep because of traffic outside her front-facing room. The couple offered her their quieter bedroom at the back of the property, which had a Juliet balcony. Raina, from Liverpool, Merseyside, went to bed after a day of sightseeing but remembers nothing about the fall and believes she was sleepwalking. Most read in The Sun Raina exercised every day before her fall Credit: SWNS A French doctor told her that her fitness likely saved her life Credit: SWNS At 6am, her brother noticed the bedroom door was open and initially thought she had gone for a morning run. But her shoes were still inside and the window was wide open. When he looked down, he saw Raina lying motionless in the courtyard below. She said: “My brother and sister-in-law were in disbelief. It was really horrible for them.” Unable to speak French, the couple were helped by a neighbour who called an ambulance. Raina was rushed to hospital with devastating injuries and remained unconscious for three weeks. She said: “I had a broken arm and a big scar down my arm; I broke my hip, I punctured my lung, and I had lots of broken ribs. “If I had been found a few hours later, I definitely wouldn’t be here.” Before the accident, Raina was an active mum running two businesses while raising Cian, 10, and Aliyah, eight. She exercised every day, regularly running 10km, cycling, lifting weights and attending fitness classes. A doctor in France later told her family that her fitness had helped save her life. Raina spent two months in hospital in France before returning to Britain. She then spent a week at Whiston Hospital and five months at Broadgreen Hospital before moving to a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit in November. She was diagnosed with ataxia, a neurological condition affecting balance, coordination and muscle movement. She also suffered a bleed on the brain and polytrauma, meaning multiple traumatic injuries affecting different parts of the body. Raina now struggles with her balance and experiences tremors in her hands, body and throat. She said: “It’s hard for me to do normal things – like putting on mascara or holding a cup of coffee. “Putting make-up on takes a lot longer. I had to re-learn how to do everything.” Her first memories after waking from the coma are of her husband, Michael, sitting beside her and reading aloud. Raina said: “I remember a bit, but I was very disoriented. I didn’t know what the hell had happened.” She added: “I think I’m still grieving my old life. I go through periods of being happy and sad at the same time. “I feel lucky and unlucky. I still feel like I’m in 2025, but it is a year and four months later. “The world has kept turning while I’ve been in hospital.” Raina has since written a children’s book to help Cian and Aliyah understand her brain injury and why their mum has changed. She has also raised more than £4,000 for Liverpool-based The Brain Charity by completing a 5km walking challenge. Raina completed the challenge by walking 40 laps of her garden over four days, cheered on by friends and family while her children held up a banner. She said: “It feels like a massive achievement. I’m excited for the future, because I know it can only get better.” Asked what she would say to others going through rehabilitation, Raina said: “Don’t give up, keep going. “You’re going to have some bad days, but you’re going to have good days too. There’s a life that’s worth living.”