Gary Carter: I was attacked and nearly died a year ago, my attacker is out of jail… but I just want to get on with my life

‘REMEMBER, remember the 5th of November’ was often heard around primary school at this time of year.

Little bits of Bonfire Night last year? No problem. November 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…? No chance.

One year ago, I was attacked and suffered a brain injury, also I was fighting for my life.

Secondary infections meant I also suffered a cardiac arrest and respiratory failure – not that I knew that as I was in a coma!

Waking up from I thought was an overnight sleep, it was a shock to learn it was December and I could not speak as I had a tracheostomy.

Over the next few weeks, the full extent of what happened was painted out in graphic detail.

A fractured skull after hitting my head on a kerbstone as I fell to the ground in London after being punched was just the start.

Turns out I had been resuscitated after suffering a cardiac arrest and but for an ECMO machine, I would not be here – simple as that.

ECMO – short for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation – basically is a machine that does your lungs’ job for you.

After being transferred from Royal London to Papworth Hospital near Cambridge, I was hooked up, eventually and only just, to a machine – of which there are only five in the country – that essentially kept me alive.

From there it was back to London then up to Salford Royal by ambulance – a journey that took fewer than three hours!

It was there that the warmth of my wife, Gemma, family, friends and colleagues really started to hit home.

On ward B4, the brain trauma rehab ward, I was surrounded by people who literally did not know who or where they were, why they were there or how they were there.

But the steady stream of cards and visitors was a constant support for me as I learned how to walk again.

For those wanting to lose weight, I shed six-and-a-half stone in less than two months, the trouble was it was all the muscles your body needs to essentially operate normally.

People from rugby league – Garreth Carvell, Shaun Wane, Kris Radlinski, Adrian Morley and Kevin Sinfield – took time out of their schedules to visit me.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche also called my wife to offer his support – I just thought I was another face in the media crowd!

Then came the mental tests – thinking A-Zs, minus X, of boys’ and girls’ names and animals and place names – and instead of gorilla, iguana and orang utan, gnu, ibex and ocelot were mentioned!

Eventually, I was discharged on February 4 and have slowly got back to something resembling normal. There is still a lot of work to do in terms of muscles and walking, though.

Three questions have dominated. ‘Are you OK?’ Well, the simple answer is yes, I haven’t fallen over yet!

The other two are ‘Have you any animosity?’ and ‘What would you do if you saw your attacker?’

Third one first, I would do what I was doing beforehand.

To the other two, I’d have to say no.

Jamie Flanagan received a two-year jail sentence, which is what I thought would happen, but he is out of prison on licence, a tag and curfew under terms set by the Government.

Am I mad? No. Am I disappointed? No. Am I determined to fully get over what happened? Yes.

In response to the animosity question, What happens in life is going to happen. It’s how you react to it.

Well, Gemma, my family, friends, colleagues and the world of rugby league. You’ve done a bloody good job so far!