海角直播

Robert survives beating to achieve BA (Honours)

Robert Pooley鈥檚 graduation from the University of 海角直播 on Friday will be an emotional one. As it will be an occasion his parents feared could never happen. In 1999 Robert鈥檚 life was changed forever, after he was subjected to a vicious beating on holiday.

The random attack left Robert in a coma for six weeks with a one-in-100,000 chance of survival. His parents were told he would be blind and severely disabled. However, Robert underwent an astounding recovery. Although he is 50 per cent blind, registered disabled and has other health problems, he never gave up on his dream of going to university.

Now, seven years after the attack, Robert has achieved a BA (Hons) degree in History from the University. At his graduation Robert will also receive the Ede & Ravenscroft prize.

Robert, 26, who lives in Billingham, was attacked in 1999, during a break with friends in Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria.

He said: 鈥淭here was a knock on our apartment door at 5am. I got out of bed to answer the door and a big guy grabbed me by the throat and pulled me out. I woke up six weeks later in Middlesbrough General Hospital. At first I thought I鈥檇 been in a car crash, I was told I had a head injury. Then my Dad, Bob, asked if I could remember who had attacked me? I had no idea. The circumstances came back to me slowly; I had no memory of the attack before then.鈥�

Robert was later able to identify his attacker but the case could not be prosecuted for lack of evidence.

Initially, Robert was paralysed from the neck down and could only communicate by blinking. His senses and movement began to recover gradually but he was in hospital for six months, wheelchair-bound for a further five and still undergoes rehabilitation.

Robert said: 鈥淲hen I was in hospital, university was always my aim. The medical staff tried to dampen this; they thought I couldn鈥檛 do it.鈥�

He enrolled on a History degree at 海角直播 in 2002, studying for two years full-time and two years part-time.

Robert said: 鈥淚鈥檇 been through a wasteland of depression and being at university was critical to getting me out of this. I did sometimes get very tired and switching to part-time helped. And my mum June was a huge help, by reading through textbooks and highlighting passages for me.鈥�

Robert, who is aiming for an arts career, such as working in a gallery, added: 鈥淢y parents are ecstatic. When my Dad first saw me after the attack he thought I would be a cabbage, that he鈥檇 have to look after me for the rest of my life. Now I鈥檝e achieved a degree and am living independently.鈥�

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