Mary Riddoch (1901-1966), an extraordinary tale of survival

In 1934 Mary Riddoch sustained a traumatic spinal injury as a result of a road traffic accident. Although a few surviving servicemen from the First World War have been recorded, this is the first account of a female paraplegic patient surviving a traumatic spinal injury. Her personal circumstances greatly contributed to her long survival: she was a qualified doctor, she was the sister of George Riddoch the neurologist who treated soldiers who had sustained spinal cord injuries during the First World War, and she was fortunate to have benefited from the dedicated care of nurse Dorothy Fiddes. Her great-nephew, Graeme Riddoch, is one of the authors of this paper and his recollections provide a unique perspective to this case report.