T's Road to Recovery

Dear friends, family, and compassionate supporters,

We are reaching out to you with heavy hearts as our dear T, a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend has been through a life-altering tragedy that has left us all heartbroken.

He is well-known, respected & loved by so many. What should have been the usual & brilliant birthday celebration weekend down at our families in Cornwall very quickly turned into our worst nightmare. On Sunday 21st May 2023, a tragic incident occurred whilst target shooting. When a rifle was discharged by accident & the stray pellet hit T in the side of the neck grazing his main artery. His partner Sophia did everything she could to keep T conscious & limit the amount of blood loss whilst waiting for the air ambulance. The air ambulance arrived & very quickly established that T needed immediate surgery to save his life. He was bleeding internally & his airways were closing. Thankfully, the joint effort of the incredible medical team at Derriford Hospital & the air ambulance paramedics meant that we still have T here with us today.

However, when T regained consciousness 17 hours after the accident, the doctors discovered that off the back of the traumatic vascular injury, he had suffered a large right-sided MCA stroke (middle cerebral artery). This resulted in a large percentage of brain damage on the right side, completely paralysing the left-hand side of his body alongside other complications. After a week and a half in ICU, T was transferred back home to London. He spent a further two months in 2 more hospitals recovering and was finally able to return home on August 4th. During his time in the hospital, he received fantastic support and care from physiotherapist teams, helping him to slowly get back moving, which we are eternally grateful for. However, there is still a long way to go as T is still struggling with mobility and cognitive issues, fatigue and a huge decline in his mental health.

Before this devastating accident, T was a healthy and active young 44-year-old man. He went to the gym almost every day and led a busy and full life. For those of you that don't know T, he ran his own business and worked hard to provide his partner and children with everything they needed, including their beautiful first, family home, which they bought just 8 months ago. Above everything else T is strong, loving, protective and fiercely loyal to his family and friends. He has always been the main provider financially & emotionally. Seeing him struggle daily, and watching the decline of his mental and physical health has left all his loved ones heartbroken and feeling helpless. This accident has not only led to a lot of heartache but the financial burden with the loss of two incomes as Sophia is now his main carer. As T battles to recover, with the help, love and constant devotion of his partner, Sophia and family support, they face an uncertain and worrying road ahead.

Whilst T has been getting help from the NHS, sadly their resources can only stretch so far, and in just three weeks this help will come to an end and his treatment will need to continue privately for the best chance of a full recovery. Stroke recovery has shown it can continue years after, but the first 6-12 months are the most crucial and pivotal. We believe with the right treatment and professionals involved he has the best possible chance to get as close to his original self as he can.

Donations will help towards the cost of ongoing treatment for T, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, intense rehabilitation programmes, aquatic physiotherapy and potential surgery for his affected shoulder. On top of that, mental health support, plus help towards the cost of keeping the family home running. They are in contact with charities and support groups, however, resources are very thin for younger stroke survivors and waiting lists for referrals are extremely long.

Any donation, big or small, will be greatly appreciated - we want to do whatever we can to make all their lives a little easier and take at least the financial pressure off of them whilst T continues his fight. If you are unable to donate then just a share of this page will massively help.

He has shown such determination and strength over the past few months, and we are so thankful that he is still here with us today. A GoFundMe is something we never imagined doing, but both physically and mentally, T still has a long way to go in his recovery. This is by far the hardest thing he will have to overcome and we are not people that would ever ask for help, but as a family we are in need of support now more than ever. The road ahead won’t be easy, but T is a fighter, determined and desperately wanting to get better!

He has an amazing support system around him, especially his partner Sophia and children, Taylor and Lilah, who have been at his side every step of the way. Any support is greatly appreciated. Thank you x

We will update this page as regularly as we can with T's progress, and you can also see his progress on our TikTok.