‘Busy’ mom of 2 vacations in Paris. Then she reportedly sleepwalks off a third-floor balcony and is never the same again: ‘Grieving still my old life’

Raina Heverin went to Paris in April 2025 expecting a short break with family. Instead, the Liverpool, England, mother of two suffered a catastrophic fall that left her with a life-changing brain injury. More than a year later, Heverin has spoken about the accident, her recovery, and the life she is still learning to navigate.

According to People, Heverin, 44, fell from a third-floor window at a Paris rental property while she was apparently sleepwalking. Her brother found her in the courtyard below in the early hours of the following day and initially thought she was asleep. He then realized she had fallen and got her to a hospital, where she remained in a coma for three weeks.

Heverin later told the BBC that she had felt disoriented and had not slept the night before the fall. She said the room contained a Juliet balcony and that she believed she had been sleepwalking or was disoriented when she opened the window and fell three stories into the courtyard.

Reportedly, Heverin’s injuries were extensive.

People reported that after the fall, doctors diagnosed Heverin with ataxia, a neurological condition that affects coordination and muscle movement. She also suffered a brain bleed and symptoms of polytrauma, which refers to multiple traumatic injuries involving different parts of the body or organ systems. Heverin needed to relearn how to walk and speak and continues to experience tremors that affect her daily activities.

Before the accident, Heverin described herself as a busy mother and entrepreneur who juggled raising two children with running two businesses. She also exercised regularly. After the fall, she spent about two months in a French hospital before returning to the U.K. She later received treatment at Broadgreen Hospital and moved to a specialist brain injury rehabilitation unit.

The change has affected ordinary parts of family life. Heverin visits her husband and children, Cian and Aaliyah, on weekends. She told the BBC that everyday activities such as applying makeup or making a cup of coffee have become difficult because of the tremors. “I’m grieving still my old life,” she said.

Travel can contribute to sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking is a type of parasomnia, a term used for unusual behaviors that occur during sleep. According to the NHS, people who sleepwalk may get out of bed and move around while they remain asleep. Episodes can involve routine activities, but in less common cases, people may perform involve more complex behavior, including leaving the house. People typically do not remember the episode when they wake up.

Mayo Clinic says several factors can contribute to sleepwalking, including insufficient sleep, stress, sleep-schedule disruptions, and travel. The condition can also lead to injuries, including falls down stairs or jumping out of a window

Heverin is now channeling part of her recovery into helping others. Her current JustGiving fundraiser supports The Brain Charity, a Liverpool-based organization that provides practical and emotional support to people affected by neurological conditions. The charity says it supports people with more than 600 conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord and nervous system.

Heverin’s fundraiser centers on a “Coma to 5K” challenge. Her JustGiving page says she planned to walk 5 kilometers over five days after spending months in hospitals and rehabilitation. The page also says she was mainly using a wheelchair and that ataxia affected her voice.

She has also written a children’s book about brain injuries to help her children understand what happened to her and why she now lives differently. She has said she plans to write another book focused on brain function.