Pillow Fight: Devoted fathers´s invention helps daughter get a good night´s sleep after coma nightmare

A doting father has invented an amazing PILLOW to help aid his daughter’s recovery after she was dramatically knocked down by a car and ended up in coma.

Georgia Miles fell into the road in front of an incoming vehicle in 2013 and had to be air-lifted to the University of Hospital in Cardiff. She sustained multiple injuries including to her pelvis, hips, leg, spine, eye, a punctured lung as well as kidney damage, and was put into an induced coma for four weeks.

Fortunately, Georgia, an artist, now 29, came out of the coma and, after undergoing several operations, particularly on her pelvis, and intensive treatment was able to return to the family home in Pontyclun – a village 12 miles west of Cardiff – where she stayed in bed for a year.

But dad, Alex said there was a huge obstacle standing in the way of his daughter’s recovery – she could not get comfortable at night because of the pillow she was using and, was unable to benefit fully from the healing power of sleep.

None of the numerous pillows bought helped Georgia sleep any better so, Alex, a furniture maker, decided to invent his own pillow which specifically cradles the neck and head for an undisturbed sleep. He now sells his amazing new development in sleep technology as Gx Pillows on teleshopping channel, TV Warehouse.

“It’s every parent’s nightmare, getting a call to say there has been an accident involving your child,” said Alex. “I went to the hospital and they told me they didn’t think she was going to live. They said she’s got the same injuries you would have if you fell off a cliff, 200 feet high.

“At times like these, when your child’s life is in the hands of others, you’d give anything to be able to help. Fortunately, after intensive treatment and many operations, Georgia came home and ended up spending 12 months in bed.

“The mattress was fine, but the pillows became a major issue for her. She was able to sit up after four to five months, but she found the pillows were constantly collapsing on her which left her in discomfort and pain because she didn’t want to be moving around.

“Having purchased every pillow known to man, and all to no avail, I started tearing the pillows apart, trying to understand why they didn’t work, what it was that made them so uncomfortable. Hollow fibre, foam, feathers, from the cheapest to the most expensive, I checked them all.

“With a background in furniture and domestic product design I knew I could come up with an innovative solution to solve this problem – now, finally, was my opportunity to help my daughter.”

After examining countless types of pillows, Alex made a breakthrough when he realised that all pillows spread out and flatten down as the weight of the head rests on them. This flattening process through the night leave the head and neck poorly supported – and sleep interrupted.

“That is why many people find themselves half awake and ‘pillow punching’ in the middle of the night, trying to get comfortable,” said Alex. “I decided to design a model with internal ties that hold the filling in place and pull the pillow in and up to cradle the head and neck. This provides extra comfort and support that last through the night and ensured Georgia would get the most benefit from an undisturbed sleep.

“As soon as she started using my pillow, she was able to sleep beautifully through the night and this helped aid her recovery. Then friends, family and colleagues all wanted my new pillow and, before I knew it, I was in the pillow business. The name Gx Pillows comes from the love between father and daughter. Since she could first write, whenever Georgia sends me a card, she signs it with her initial and a kiss…G x.”

Alex, 60, revealed he spent over £50,000 getting granted a patent for his Gx Pillow, which costs £29.99. He has been able to reach out to millions of people on Sky TV and Freeview about how and why the pillow was made by demonstrating it on TV Warehouse, an independent teleshopping channel. The pillow invention has even been endorsed by Harley Street orthopaedic consultant Dr Deane Halfpenny who says it has a ‘unique ability to maintain support throughout the night’.

“We’ve been able to get onto TV Warehouse and that made it possible for us to reach more than 20 million viewers and share Georgia’s story,” said Alex.

“What’s been highlighted, as a consequence is a great deal of people have terrible sleep or feel they could get a lot more from their sleep. When you are young you don’t think about pillows. I could sleep on the floor!

“When you get over 50, you start thinking about pillows, mattresses and beds and comfort. If you get good sleep, you immediately feel better the next day so anything that anyone can do to improve a good night’s sleep is invaluable.

“Working with TV Warehouse for us was very easy, it was seamless and there were no barriers. From the first conversation, we found them easy to deal with and liked the fact that we could pay for airtime only and retain all the TV sales revenue. We also kept control of our product throughout the process.”

For more information about TV Warehouse email [email protected] or call contact 020 3883 4090.