I am embarking on an epic endurance bike ride in aid of a special young man who has suffered a life changing event.

I received a phone call early January that every parent dreads. My son and five of his friends had been involved in an accident where a car driver had suffered a heart attack at the wheel, mounted the pavement and driven into the back of all six of them. Sadly, he died at the scene and all six boys were rushed to hospital.

My son and two of his friends suffered injuries that they were to physically recover from quite quickly, however one friend, Michael Johnson suffered a quite horrific injury to his left foot and was transferred to Newcastle RVI.

After surgical assessment Michael had the bottom half of his right leg amputated below the knee, then infections meant two more eight hour operations.

Michael is home and getting on with his life. However, he will have a long legal fight to receive compensation he badly needs to make the alterations he will need to live a normal life going forward. Friends and family have opened a just giving page and have raised much need money to help purchase a prosthetic leg to compensate for the NHS provided leg which is quite heavy.

And now to the main part of this letter the fund raising! I with 3 other riders on the 13th of July will ride the 900 mile from Lands’ End to John O Groats over 9 days hopefully raising as much money as possible to help Michael lead as much of a normal life as he can.