The first days and weeks after the incident were physically and mentally exhausting for Mason, while his closest family members deliberately shielded him from detailed information about exactly what had happened. "I was sleeping for 20 to 22 hours a day. The first three or four weeks were literally just about sleeping and recovering," Mason recalled of the initial stage of his treatment. He was confined to bed for a long time, and even returning to ordinary walking was a huge obstacle. Any thoughts of football had to be put completely to one side.
Once he began to feel better, however, his body started to recover unexpectedly quickly. By the start of the summer, he was able to run and work with the ball, briefly rekindling his hopes of a return. Medical reality and the risks involved ultimately forced him to hang up his boots for good, a decision that brought considerable relief to those around him. "The day I told my wife and family that I wasn't going to play anymore and couldn't play anymore, their initial reaction was relief," Mason said, knowing that if he returned to the pitch, his loved ones would live in constant fear for his health.
A huge source of support for Mason during the most difficult period was Cech, who had gone through an almost identical trauma himself. He contacted the player to share his own experiences and help bring peace of mind to both him and his family. One of his valuable pieces of advice was for Mason to keep a record of his recovery. "I still have a journal to this day. I write things down in it, and that's all thanks to you," Mason told Cech, adding that the notes have continued to help him, both personally and professionally, even years later by reminding him of the difficult journey he managed to overcome.
The full television version of this episode of the Big Pete documentary series will be available on CANAL+ Sport and the CANAL+ streaming service in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Poland, Myanmar, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Romania and Hungary, and on SuperSport in South Africa and Switzerland.