Barcelona's first wheelchair user: "Before, paraplegics died locked in their homes"

BarcelonaMercè Tarruella missed the first three years of her daughter's life because she was bedridden, and the little girl was always with her grandmother. After giving birth, she contracted an infection that affected her spinal cord, leaving her paraplegic at a time when doctors didn't know what to do with these patients: the only prospect they had was to remain in bed. However, Mercè's life changed radically the day she met Dr. Miquel Sarrias, who had returned from England with the mission of establishing a new hospital in Barcelona designed for people who, like her, couldn't walk. She still remembers the day, 62 years ago, when she was told she could get out of bed, after having already resigned herself to never being able to: "I had never seen a wheelchair. There weren't any in Barcelona. Paraplegics were confined to their homes, and they died young."

It was December 1965 when Mercè, who was learning to use the wheelchair that had been brought to her from England, became the second patient in the history of the Guttmann Institute. "It was like being born again," the 91-year-old woman says in an interview with ARA. In fact, this was the goal of the new center: to allow people with spinal cord injuries to rebuild their lives and not just survive at home until the end of their days. Its initiative marked a turning point for many people who at the time had no therapeutic alternatives, but also for Catalan society, which was unaware that treatments and possibilities existed for these patients.

When Mercè was discharged, she returned home alone in what she says was the first wheelchair trip in the city. "People looked at me as if I were an alien. They had never seen one," she explains. Since there were no ramps, she couldn't use the sidewalk and had to travel in the street. She recalls that one of the doctors at the Guttmann Institute, seeing her walking where the cars were, joked that she'd get a ticket, but she replied, "Fix the sidewalks because I can't go down these steps." That's why she's happy that the city is now much more accessible for people with reduced mobility, although she believes there's still room for improvement, especially in public transportation.

Improved autonomy

Besides learning to use the wheelchair, Mercè also underwent rehabilitation, working on her arms to gain enough strength to get in and out of bed, dress herself, and ultimately, be independent in her daily life. Her husband also received training at the center so he could help her with anything she needed, and for years, he turned her over in bed at night to prevent bedsores. When he went to work, she dressed herself, got into the wheelchair, and took care of the housework: cleaning, ironing, sewing, and cooking every day. "That was unthinkable before," she explains, referring to the independence that people with spinal cord injuries gained starting in the 1960s. In fact, Mercè is aware that in recent years there have been many medical advances that she hasn't been able to benefit from, but they have brought joy to all the people who have benefited from them. "Now, in three months, they leave Guttmann and live on their own, study, and work." She played a significant role in the hospital's opening, beyond being a patient, because she was in charge of sewing all the operating room equipment. "They brought me a model, and I made everything myself. The gowns, the boots, the masks, the hats... I was really embarrassed about the hats because, to make them, I had to measure Dr. Sarria's head," she says with a laugh.

Until her arms gave out, Mercè dressed herself and took care of the housework. Now her daughter and Paquita help her; Paquita cooks and cleans. At night, another caregiver comes to turn her over so she doesn't get bedsores and also helps her shower and dress in the mornings. Mercè does, however, take care of her plants—she has more than a hundred—and, although she finds it hard to admit, she is one of the people who paved the way for other spinal cord injury patients in Catalonia who have come after her. "I've been very happy," she concludes.