Now, at the age of 59, he is living at Castel Froma in Leamington, which offers care to people with acquired brain injuries.

He can stand but needs a wheelchair to move around the home and talking to others can be a problem as he struggles with slurred speach.

As part of Brain Injury Awareness Week Mr Naylor spoke about the accident which changed his life forever.
On June 8 1999 Mr Naylor was taking part in a cycling time trial when he was knocked off his bike by a van.

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He suffered serious head injuries and was taken by air ambulance to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

He said: "I remember nothing about it. They just told me what happened."

He was in a coma in intensive care for about two weeks and when he woke up he could only move one finger.

In an account of the accident which he wrote, Mr Naylor said: "I was shocked, but there was hope because something was moving. But I didn't know what to do, how I would manage, what I would do with my life."

Movement slowly returned to his limbs and he communicated by pointing to a sheet of letters and spelling out words.
He found it difficult to talk, but thought he was speaking properly until he realised that people could not understand him.

He was given a card to hand to new people, which read: "Please remember I am not deaf or stupid, so put yourself in my place. I have trouble with talking, seeing clearly, balance, swallowing, fatigue. All this is the result of a cycling road accident in June 99."

He said: "I knew what I wanted to say but the words came out wrong. It was very frightening and I thought, what can I do?"

He had speach and language therapy and began to use a wheelchair to get about.

He said: "At first I didn't realise my life had changed - I thought I'd get better and go home. It took me a long time to realise things would be different. Only now do I realise things will be different and only now do I recognise that everything has changed forever."

Mr Naylor is now getting back to his hobby and has a specially made tricycle .

He believes that people should be more aware of the impact of having a brain injury.

He said: "I would not have understood it all myself. I feel that there are some people who are very good at understanding what I am trying to say. But some people - they do not know."

Warwickshire College runs a course for people recovering from brain injuries. Student Natalie Parr wrote this poems as part of the class.

I'm not just a wheelchair
Look at me closely, what do you see?
Please have a look,
Do you see me?

I may be sitting, I may look quite short
But, inside I'm no different;
Full of life, love and thought.

You may move me around by pushing my chair,
But please treat me as a person,
Show me you care!

My chair is my transport, just boring old wheels,
I don't care how my chair looks,
Or how my chair feels.

But I care for the person sat in the seat,
With lots to say, lots to do and lots of friends to meet.
So please close your eyes tightly
And listen close-ly,
Who is it you hear speaking…
The wheelchair?
…or me?

Natalie Parr
January 2007

Every year one million people attend hospital with a head injury.

While many can have a full recovery, others are left with physical or mental problems.

Volunteer carer Terry Street said: "We are learning that the brain is resilient and given time, damage may repair and challenges overcome. There are many fantastic examples of the shear determination and willpower of people who learn to cope after their brain injury and make a new life in the community."

Castel Froma has been in Lillington Road for the past 50 years and offers care for people with disabilities and one third have some form of brain injury.