On the 28th December 2023 I was on duty as the crew manager at Edwinstowe Fire Station. I received a phone call at 820am from my dad.... "Scott, I, I need help.... I'm bleeding... I think I've fell down the stairs". I didn't think of it too much but just told him i would pop over to check with the crew. 15 minutes later me and 3 fantastic colleagues walked into a scene out of a horror movie. My dad had fell down the stairs and was in a pile of blood at the bottom. I've seen my fair share of trauma in 17 years of the fire service and I have to be honest. Looking at his injuries I feared the worst. The crew were fantastic and an ambulance was on the scene in no time. My manager allowed me to ride the ambulance with dad on the way to QMC. I won't go through all the details of the morning, but flash forward a few hours and the surgeons were giving a blood transfusion. He had a severe brain bleed, 13 broken ribs, broken collar bone and 3 skull fractures. Both lungs were damaged and deflated one alot worse than the other. He spent 48 hrs on a trauma ward before the bruising set in and he went into respiratory arrest and was ushered to intensive care. We were told the worse. He went down hill every day worse than the next. He was put on life support. He was given 100% oxygen through a tube and still his lungs deteriorated. The doctor told me and my sisters there was nothing more they could do. We spent every hour there just watching that machine and praying the figures would change. And then they did. Just a little bit at first, but still something. And slowly, little by little he improved. After 4 weeks in hospital they took off life support and fitted a tracheostomy. He woke up but had terrible amnesia. His vision in one eye was almost gone. But he was here. The Doctors and Nurses had been amazing and saved his life, it was the start of Feb and he was eager to get home.

Being a full time grafter since he was 16, my dad was not built for being at home resting. His recovery was slow. His short term memory wasn't good. His girlfriend had to go back to work. He was lonely and depressed. That's when I contacted the viszla welfare who I volunteer for about a companion for Dad.

He came with me to collect a female Hungarian Vizsla called Poppy. She was around 5 years old and nervous to go out and walk. She needed a friend and love, and so did my Dad. I looked after her for a few weeks to assess her personality, Poppy is more of a cat than a dog... she likes to cuddle and stay at home. And when she met my Dad they instantly connected and felt a common peace. They were there to help each other. And now she is part of our family.

Dad's not quite 100% but neither is Poppy. They both need each other to improve and that is why, just 9 months after a life changing accident, with 1 good lung and 1 good eye, Me, my Dad along with Poppy are scaling the highest mountain in England to raise money for the Hungarian Vizsla Welfare.

This will be a huge challenge for a dog who is just growing in confidence on her long walks, and a man who is just learning to get walking again!

I hope you can donate to a worthy cause and a worthy charity which helps rehome Hungarian Vizslas. These dogs are called 'velcro' for a reason. They stick by you if you stick by them.

Thanks for reading

*Update*

WOW He actually did it in ! 7 and a half hour slog and I didnt have to call mountain rescue!!

Joking aside that was absolute hell for him and Poppy did amazing too.

Very tired pup, PLEASE If you can just send a fiver to the just giving page would mean alot to me and Dad xxx