By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-05 11:39:46 | Updated at 2026-08-05 19:58:36
9 hours ago
A mother-of-two has suffered a life-changing brain injury after sleepwalking off a 40ft balcony on holiday in Paris.
Raina Heverin, 44, fell two storeys into a courtyard when she opened a window beside a Juliet balcony in the early hours of April 26 last year.
Her brother found her lying 'motionless' on the ground and she was rushed to hospital where she remained unconscious for three weeks.
It emerged she had suffered a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung and a broken hip, arm and ribs.
Recalling the experience, Ms Heverin, from Liverpool, said she had spent a long weekend with her brother and sister-in-law in the French city.
She added: '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.'
The accident unfolded after Ms Heverin swapped bedrooms with her brother and sister-in-law at the townhouse where they were staying.
Raina Heverin (pictured), 44, fell two storeys into a courtyard when she opened a window beside a Juliet balcony in the early hours of April 26 last year
Her brother found her lying 'motionless' on the ground and she was rushed to hospital where she remained unconscious for three weeks
Ms Heverin is pictured here in recovery, with a children's book she has written to help her children understand her brain injury
She had complained the traffic outside her room at the front of the property had kept her awake and so the couple offered her their quieter room at the back.
Ms Heverin went back to the room after a day of sightseeing but said she remembers nothing about the fall – and believes she was sleepwalking.
At 6am her brother noticed the bedroom door was open and assumed she had gone for a morning run, though her shoes remained inside and the window was open.
When he looked down, he saw his sister lying motionless in the courtyard below.
Ms Heverin said: 'My brother and sister-in-law were in disbelief. It was really horrible for them.'
The couple did not speak French, but a neighbour helped them call an ambulance.
Ms Heverin was rushed to hospital with devastating injuries and remained in a coma for three weeks.
She said if her brother had found her a few hours later, she 'definitely wouldn't be here'.
Raina Heverin is pictured with her son Cian Heverin, daughter Aliyah Heverin and husband Michael Heverin
The mother-of-two is seen here in recovery as she works to rebuild her life following the accident
Ms Heverin reminisced about being an active mother before the accident – running two businesses while raising Cian, 10, and Aliyah, eight.
She exercised every day and regularly ran 10km (six miles), cycled, lifted weights and attended fitness classes.
A doctor in France later told her family her physical fitness had helped save her life.
Ms Heverin 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 into a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit in November.
Ms Heverin was diagnosed with ataxia, a neurological condition which affects balance, co-ordination and muscle movement.
She also suffered a bleed on the brain and polytrauma – multiple traumatic injuries affecting different areas and systems of the body.
The mother-of-two now struggles to balance and suffers 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.
She said: 'I remember a bit, but I was very disoriented. I didn't know what the hell had happened.
'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.'
Ms Heverin has now written a children's book to help Cian and Aliyah understand her brain injury and why their mother has changed.
She has also raised more than £4,000 for Liverpool-based The Brain Charity by completing a three-mile walking challenge.
Ms Heverin walked 40 laps of her garden over four days, supported by friends and relatives 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.'
When asked what she would say to other people in rehabilitation, Ms Heverin 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.'
