Tuesday 18 August 2020

A selfless Staffordshire dad has marked his 40th birthday by asking friends and family to raise money for the charity that helped save his life – instead of cards or gifts.

Dan Seedhouse, from Amington, hoped to raise £500 for the Wales Air Ambulance but his generous friends and family helped him raise £1,548.

Last year, Dan was involved in a serious motorbike accident during a camping weekend in Wales. He was travelling at 50mph when a car pulled out in front of him on the A5. Luckily for Dan, an off-duty doctor and nurse were passing by and saved his life when he stopped breathing at the scene of the crash.

The Charity’s medics were on hand when he stopped breathing for the second time and after saving his life, they transferred him safely to Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Reflecting on the importance of raising funds for the Charity, Dan, said: “I was involved in a pretty serious accident last year. The Wales Air Ambulance played a massive part in saving my life. These guys are absolute heroes and the helicopters are funded by donations.

“I do not really need anything. I already have lots of tech and toys I cannot use, so I decided to try and give back something to these lifesavers. Therefore, I asked people to not buy any cards or presents, if they were planning to, and donate the money to this amazing charity instead.”

Following his accident, Dan had a long stay in the critical care unit. Dan suffered many broken bones, including a T1/T2 fracture, which needed several pins and other metal fixings.

Dan added, “This did mean, however, I have no sensation or movement from my arms down. As a result of the spinal cord being stretched, I have also ended up with a paralysed vocal cord, impaired swallow, double vision and very little movement in my left arm.”

Six months later Dan was transferred to the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries in Oswestry to start his journey of rehabilitation. Due to the current pandemic and the risks to Dan, because he has a tracheostomy, the decision was made for him to return to his new wheelchair-friendly home.

Lynne Garlick, Wales Air Ambulance’s North Wales Fundraising Manager, said: “It is very touching to hear stories of people like Dan, who have gone through such a life-changing event but still manage to find a way to say thank you to our Charity. We wish Dan well with his recovery and a huge thank you to everyone who donated to celebrate Dan’s 40^th birthday milestone. Happy Birthday from all of us!”