A Nottinghamshire man’s life changed forever after he avoided hitting a deer while driving home. Raj Gataora, from Silverdale, was driving home from work in 2005 in terrible weather conditions when a deer ran in front of his car.

This caused him to swerve, leading to a crash. Raj, then aged 21, beat all odds, however, as doctors thought he would not be able to eat, drink or even breathe by himself due to a brain injury caused during the accident.

He went on to graduate from Nottingham Trent University only eight years later in 2013 with a 2:1 degree in Criminology. This was despite being predicted a third.

Now 41, Raj is engaging with workshops at Headway Nottingham, the brain injury association. He is keen to inspire others living with significant life challenges and has previously shared that he’d like to be a motivational speaker in the future.

At Headway, Raj has been enjoying activities such as rock climbing and going to the gym. Like any brain injury survivor, he experiences good days and bad days.

He said: “A good day for me looks like having a laugh with people who have been through what I have been through, and we all share stories with one another. I have become very confident since coming to Headway Nottingham. I just feel comfortable when I’m here.”

Bad days on the other hand can make him feel overwhelmed and withdrawn. Raj said: “On a bad day, when I’m around loads of people, it can feel rather claustrophobic.

“I don’t like loads of information blurting out, it becomes overwhelming for me, and I become withdrawn. When I’m intimidated by someone who’s talking about their morals and values, if their morals and values don’t align with mine, I tend to get angry and I sometimes challenge them.

“But that doesn’t happen too often.” Raj has highlighted his story as part of Action for Brain Injury (ABI) Week 2025, an annual awareness campaign from Headway.

This year’s theme, ‘On a good day’, explores the fluctuating and unpredictable nature of brain injury. The campaign, which runs between May 19-25, puts a spotlight on how symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, mood changes and cognitive problems, can impact a brain injury survivor’s hobbies and activities, their relationships and their ability to work.

Raj isn’t alone in experiencing heightened frustration or anger on a bad day, as results from Headway’s research for ABI Week 2025 reported that 64 per cent of survivors and 53 per cent of carers lose their tempers more easily on a survivor’s bad day.

Colin Morris, director of communications at Headway, said: “Raj’s determination and zest for life is inspiring. He is proof that there are no limits on what brain injury survivors can achieve.

“Our campaign this year - On a good day - highlights both sides of brain injury. We hope it will help people to recognise that a ‘bad day’ for a brain injury survivor can be very different - and much harder - than most people realise.”