Leeds coma survivor competed in bodybuilding contest just 12 days after doctors warned family 'he may never wake up'

-Credit: (Image: Instagram: karlmorris_photography)
-Credit: (Image: Instagram: karlmorris_photography)


While in an 18-hour coma, doctors told a Leeds man’s family that he either may never wake up, suffer permanent brain damage, lose his personality, or never regain his memories.

Twelve days later, he was on stage at a body building contest. James Hall, 32, has opened up about his amazing journey from his death bed to getting back on the podium, coated in fake tan and flexing his muscles to hundreds of cheering onlookers at The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Northern (BNBF) Championship.

James, who works as an intelligence analyst, had made it his mission to get on stage in a bid to fulfil his grandad’s ''dying wish'. Leeds United fans may recognise his grandad’s name Bill Fotherby as he owned the club in the 1990s when they lifted the First Division trophy, making them the champions of English football.

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James had been training for a full year before he eventually suffered two back-to-back seizures on Tuesday, August 13. It is during the week leading up to his body building contest which is termed ‘peak week’ where contestants strip their diet down to the bare necessities, so they look more defined for the contest.

The 32-year-old felt like he was “starving” during this time and made up for the lack of food by drinking lots of water and decaffeinated coffee - something he hadn’t mentioned to his coach. On the Tuesday, he’d had ten litres by lunchtime.

James Hall
James was in an 18 hour coma at St James' Hospital -Credit:James Hall

He wasn’t aware at the time that when he was urinating it all out, he was actually flushing the electrolytes out of his body. James felt awful but decided to cycle to the gym from his flat in Moortown.

The body builder, who suffers from epilepsy, says his memory then became very hazy and he started to lose a grasp on reality. James said: “I don’t quite know how I cycled to the gym as I kept blacking out partway through.

“I was so dizzy because I had no electrolytes in my system. I knew it but didn’t quite register that I was doing it. That is a classic symptom of when my epilepsy is about to kick in. All I was thinking was that I had to get to this final gym session. I only had one goal for the whole year.”

'It looked more like I’d had a stroke'

James suffered a range of side effects after his seizures but is now on the mend
James suffered a range of side effects after his seizures but is now on the mend -Credit:Samuel Port

James hadn’t had an epileptic seizure for three years. After arriving at the gym, Graft Häus, near Kirkstall Road, after attempting his first workout, he felt dreadful so asked at the reception if he could lie down in the physio room. That’s where he suffered his first seizure.

James said: “I have no memory of it. When I came out, the guy on the front desk - who had seen quite a few seizures before - he told me later on, it looked more like I’d had a stroke. I had drool coming down one side of my mouth and I’d completely wet myself.

“Thankfully, the gym owner, Tony, who I’ve known since 2018, he walked in as soon as I’d come out and drove me straight to Burmantofts Health Centre. To this day, I have no memory of what happened during that stretch of period.”

After arriving at the walk-in clinic, James asked to use the toilet. He suffered his second seizure while he was in there. Worried pal Tony Barnes managed to get staff to let him in ten minutes later, only to find James belly down on the floor, his head dashed against the wall. He wouldn’t wake up for another 18 hours.

After the seriousness of the issue became far more apparent, James was transported to St James’ Hospital. His family and loved ones were informed and rushed to the hospital.

'He may never wake up'

James Hall at The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Northern (BNFB) Championship
James Hall at The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Northern (BNFB) Championship -Credit:Instagram: karlmorris_photography

It was there James’ doctor told them he’d suffered two back-to-back sodium seizures and that it was a gravely serious matter. His sodium levels were at 116mg with the lowest levels considered to be around the 130mg mark.

“The doctors told all of them that sodium seizures are one of the most dangerous seizures possible and they can result in death,” said James. “He said there’s a possibility I may never wake up and if I do wake up, I may be permanently brain damaged and if I avoided the brain damage, I may never recover my personality or worse.

“They were all in tears. I felt extremely guilty after this with what I’d put them through. I shouldn’t be here today. The odds of me being able to survive that from what the doctors were alluding to is ridiculous.”

James eventually woke up the following morning, surrounded by his family and loved ones. When he woke up, it felt like a “system reboot” where he was waiting for everything to click back into place. He says he actually felt much better after waking up as he’d been on a saline drip, bringing his sodium levels back to normal.

He said: “I didn’t feel rough. I felt okay. I turned to my family and I told them I was still doing the show. They were not happy! They were irate. My best friend gave me an absolute tongue lashing telling me I was ‘not doing the show’. Fortunately, we’re as stubborn as each other so I held my ground.”

'Lesson learned'

James biting into two pizzas after the body building contest
James biting into two pizzas after the body building contest -Credit:James Hall

James was originally supposed to be attending BNBF’s contest in the midlands that weekend but relented and promised to take part BNBF’s northern competition in Manchester one the following weekend instead – in 12 days’ time.

His training comprised of very little (by James’ standards) while he recovered. When he went to the gym, he and his coach agreed to work out to minimal effort rather than to exhaustion. James decided to eat how he would normally, rather than stripping out the carbs and relaxing after he’d covered his 10,000 steps for the day – which is approximately five miles. He even attended a wedding during this period.

James with his grandad Bill Fotherby
James with his grandad Bill Fotherby -Credit:James Hall

Part of the reason James felt so determined to make it to the contest was because of his late grandad Bill Fotherby who died in 2019. Grandad Bill, who not only owned Leeds United but later Harrogate Town, had inspired James into pushing himself to be in the best shape possible. His grandad had always praised James as his ‘big strong grandson’ and those happy memories spurred the 32-year-old on. He treated them as his grandad’s dying wish.

James said: “I wanted to end things on my own terms. If I had not competed, then the ‘accident’ and everything I had done would have been a mistake. But, if I’d have turned up and competed at the show, it wouldn’t have been a mistake. It would have been lesson. I was desperate for that to happen.

“The lesson was to learn more about that body as regards to water, sodium and electrolytes. As a result, I understand a lot more about electrolyte balance and I am not making that mistake again.”

Side effects

While James managed to recover and eventually take his place on the body building stage, the seizures were not without their side effects. James became very anxious while struggling with memory loss and speech impediments.

His short-term memory was severely affected. He forgot what people had said to him just 30 seconds prior. He also forgot small things, like where things were in his flat, people’s names – as if his memory was a swirling ‘fog’.

At work, he’s known for being charismatic and leading meetings, but his speech problems made this more difficult. At one stage, he even suffered a panic attack, fearing he would lose his job due to skills he was struggling with. Beforehand, James had never been an anxious person and said these feelings felt alien to him. He learned later that these were common side effects for coma survivors.

'It was wonderful'

James Hall at The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Northern (BNFB) Championship -Credit:Instagram: karlmorris_photography
James Hall at The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Northern (BNFB) Championship -Credit:Instagram: karlmorris_photography

When it came to the big day in St Helens Theatre Royal, in Manchester, on Sunday, August 25, James felt ‘elated’ and a massive sense of comradery with his fellow contestants. He says they were surprised and even awed when he told them he’d come out of a coma just 12 days beforehand.

James said: “It was wonderful. Thankfully, I don’t get shy on stage. I have no worries about stepping in front of large audiences and presenting. I’ve done it for dance and multiple things. Just the fact I’d even made it to the show on the day, I didn’t have a care in the world.

“There were people I was competing with who were twice the size of me. They were huge! I felt like a little kid next to them, but I had come from death to be there that day when the odds were against me, so I honestly just didn’t care. I was so elated and happy.

“The whole day was just me and 84 other people eating barely anything and covered in this horrible fake tan, just waiting to go on stage so there was this incredible comradery.”

In a message to others beset by challenges, James said: “If anyone has a particular goal or a dream and they’ve got anything that is stopping them or getting in the way, it can always be overcome. I went through a coma, but I still ended up getting on stage. Your body and your mind can go through a lot but if you keep being persistent, it can always be overcome. Just don’t make the mistakes I did.”

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