Help Me Stay on My Feet

In 2004, my life changed in an instant. A motorbike accident — a head-on collision with a car — left me in a very serious condition in Intensive Care for 4 days and which eventually led to the amputation of my right leg above the knee.

But honestly? That wasn’t the hardest part.

‍♂️ The years I couldn’t walk

From the time of my accident until around 2009, I was able to walk using a traditional prosthesis using a socket. This gradually became more and more painful and I was having operations pretty much every 6 months to try and make it more comfortable but the surgeons’ efforts were for naught, and I stopped walking towards the end of 2010.

From then until the end of 2017, I was only able to use crutches and a wheelchair and was having to live with these words going around and around my head:

“You’ll never walk again.”

Not only that, I was having to rely on others for even the simplest things, my independence disappeared, my social life collapsed.

And for a long time, I couldn’t even picture what my future looked like.

The breakthrough that changed everything

In that desperation, in 2018 I stumbled across a surgeon called Munjed Al Muderis who had been performing a cutting-edge procedure called OsseoIntegration which was and still is revolutionary and life changing for amputees. After my initial consultation with him, he had given me something I’d almost lost hope of ever having again:

The ability to walk and to not just exist — live

But that freedom came at a huge financial cost for the initial operation… and it’s a cost have had to carry myself ever since.

⚠️ The situation now

Right now, I’m facing a problem I can’t fix alone. A critical part of my prosthetic — the connector that links my prosthetic leg to my OI implant — has failed.

It’s an old design which has been superseded, so neither the connector nor the associated parts anymore and all worldwide stock has been exhausted

I even went to a CNC engineering company to try and repair it — no luck. It’s too specialised, too custom, and even if they could CNC me a new connector, I am still fighting obsolesce and potential warrantee issues

So right now? I can’t walk again.

What needs to happen

To get back on my feet, I need to upgrade multiple components all relating to my OI implant:

• Connector: £9,000

• Taper sleeve: £3,000

• Dual cone: £3,500

• Clinical fitting + labour

Total: ~£16,000

This isn’t an upgrade for comfort — these are the minimum required for me to walk again.

Why I’m asking for help

Osseointegration isn’t currently an option on the NHS, and therefore they offer no support if you’ve had the surgery done privately.

Officially, they will not even provide the prosthetics they normally provide for a socket user…

So centrally, they won’t fund mine.

I’ve pushed. I’ve challenged it. I’m still trying and will continue to fight the NHS on this for myself, and for the benefit of other amputees whose sockets are unbearably painful.

But right now, the reality is If I want to walk, I must fund it myself.

No insurance. No grants. No fallback.

What this actually means day-to-day

This isn’t just about mobility — it’s about my independence. Right now, simple things have become difficult again:

Because when you’re back on crutches… your hands aren’t free.

What I’m fighting to get back to

Most of you will know me from the dancefloor and/or DJing and you’ll know how much joy this brings me. This year was shaping up to be my best yet as a DJ - Gigs. Festivals. Momentum.

But without being able to move properly, that all becomes incredibly difficult — especially in environments that aren’t exactly wheelchair-friendly.

Aside from the big headlines such as dancing/DJing etc – for me the most important things are the little, everyday things.

Being able to be independent, to not rely on others, to live my life - on my terms.

And then there’s Max, I’ve literally only just got my 4-year-old German Shepherd, Max, back. He’s full of energy, needs proper exercise, and deserves a good life. Right now, I can’t give him that in the way he needs.

And honestly… that part hurts more than most.

I’ve already fought extremely hard to rebuild my life and I’m not ready to lose that progress.

Why I’m asking

I’ve never been someone to sit back and accept things. I’ve already fought to walk again once — and I will again.

But this time, I need a bit of help to get. The clinic has agreed that now I have paid a small deposit, they will order the parts I need on the understanding that the full £16,000 is paid by the end of May.

How you can help

If you can donate — thank you. It genuinely means everything. If you can’t, even sharing this page helps more than you might realise.

Every bit of support gets me one step closer to being back on my feet.

‍♂️ Final thought

I’ve already been told once that I’d never walk again and I proved that wrong.

Let’s not let a broken part be the thing that stops me now.

This has given me more determination to fight the NHS on their policy not to support OI, because I don’t want to be in this position again.

I want those that are current in the position I used to be, to at least have hope that one day they too may be able to have the OI procedure carried out, so they too can regain their lives.