I would like to ask you to take your mind back to April 7^th 2009, you may or may not remember that fatal car crash on the A34 just outside of where a young 17 year old girl passenger, Grace Hadman, was tragically killed in a drink driving incident.  I was sat next to Grace in the back seat in that devastating car crash and suffered 5 broken vertebrae, 3 located in my back and 2 located in my neck. Furthermore, I fractured my skull across half the diameter of my head. The doctors put my initial chance of survival at less than 3% and more than a 95% chance of suffering paralysis or sever disability. I was put into an induced coma for 24 days during which the John Radcliffe’s surgeons, doctors, consultants and nurses fought day and night to keep me alive. They defied the odds, went beyond the call of duty and succeeded.

Spending 2 months in hospital, 2 months of round the clock care, operations, drugs, treatment and feeding does not come cheap. Moreover, the 4 ambulances sent to the scene for the 4 passengers combined with 24 days in the ICU unit whilst in a coma add to the spiralling costs. The neuroscience surgeon, on the day of my leave, estimated the total costs coming around the £1,000,000 mark. Whilst I can never hope to repay this, and thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart, who has helped fund the NHS I feel compelled to say thank you in a way that one day might help save another unfortunate person has to pass through the doors of the Neurology Intensive Care Unit (Neuro ICU).

I have therefore decided to embark on a sponsored cycle ride, in aid of the Neuro ICU unit.

There are two main reasons for the idea of my sponsored cycle ride from to , finishing at the John Radcliffe hospital. The first; being in loving memory of Grace, a very close friend of so many people, a friend who will never be forgotten and always be at the bottom of so many people’s heart. The second; not to give back a some of what the hospital have given me, my family and my friends but to help save others’ in the future and remind those staff that they truly change lives. The importance of doing this cycle ride before April 7^th 2010 is that it would be before the 1^st anniversary of Grace’s death and to show achievement in the face of adversity as the initial verdict was I would not survive; the second was that I would be paralysed. Never did they suggest I would only be in hospital for a mere 2 months, at best they were looking at me being inside for, 12 months. For me to do this cycle ride before April 7^th means so much, it means defying the odds in being alive, in being able to walk and being out of hospital full stop.

The idea is to cycle from to the John Radcliffe hospital, leaving on Thursday, March 25^th 2010 and hopefully getting into on Sunday, March 28^th 2010. I will be undertaking this challenge with my older brother, Harry. The reason for this is because he and I, jokingly had talked about cycling to before the crash and now if the perfect opportunity. My much loved family, mum, dad and younger sister were kept going by Harry, and he went to the ends of the earth for me and is one of the few people I am comfortablely able to confide in about the whole thing. He has been nothing but an inspiration and there is no one I’d rather do it with.

Harry and I are asking for your support, large or small. We would like to raise money for the John Radcliffe hospital to buy a new Thermo Cooling machine for the Neuro ICU unit at a cost of £20,000. This machine was vital in saving my life and the unit is in desperate need of another one. It will also help them to keep families together, help the injured to get through the toughest of margins. Our campaign is fully supported and backed by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds organisation.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, any help will be gratefully received.

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