Hi, my name is Marc and I am 22 year's old. My injury occured back in November 2000 and was the result of a motorcycle accident. At the time of my accident I was in the process of training to become a Firefighter.

I had just completed my seventh week of training at Southwark Firefighter Training College in London when my accident occurred. I cannot remember any details from that Friday, but I have been told about many aspects of the day and the actual accident. There were several witnesses of the accident and a few of the lads from my course have filled me in on details about that day.

I left Southwark at approximately 16:30 on Friday 10th November. I followed my usual route home and all was going fine. I had just pulled away from some traffic lights only five minutes from Southwark. A car drove out of a side road on my right and pulled across my path. This caused me to be thrown from my motorcycle at least 20ft into the air. During this fall I impacted my left shoulder on a lamppost, which was so conveniently placed in my way!!! Here I came to rest and several people came to my aid, including an off duty police officer, (and they say there?s never one around when you need one!!!). The paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and I was stabilised and transported to St. Thomas? Hospital. The car that hit me had at this point disappeared. Classic case of Hit and Run I?m afraid.

I was taken to the Accident and Emergency department where it was discovered my spleen had been ruptured. I was immediately transported to theatre where an emergency spleenectomy was performed. I have no recollection of this at all but I was told I was not a happy person and was definitely making a great deal of noise. I was heavily sedated and taken to the Intensive Care Unit where I was placed on to life support.

It doesn?t end there though??.During the spleenectomy it was discovered that my heart had ruptured its protective sack and had been shunted six inches to the right hand side of my chest, collapsing my right lung in the process. You could say I was in a bad way.

The doctors at St. Thomas? had never before seen such a case, in a person who was alive anyway. They contacted doctors throughout the world and collaborated data on how to deal with such an injury. It wasn?t until the 15th of November that they decided to operate on my heart. I was taken to theatre where the surgery was a success and my heart was returned to its protective sack, on the left side of my chest. The sack was then repaired with a section of cow tissue. (Lets hope those mad cow disease claims aren?t all true!!)

It was to be another six days on life support before I opened my eyes for the first time. Confused is not the word!! As time passed I was told about my accident and what had happened. During my time at St. Thomas? my whole squad from Southwark visited me. I think the nurses thought Christmas had come early when 12 burly fire fighters stormed the ward I was in!!!

It was discovered that the impact of the lamppost had damaged several nerves in my neck, shoulder and arm. I was told that the Brachial Plexus is very common in motorcycle accidents and is sometimes called "The Bikers Plexus". The resultant damage has meant I have lost certain movement of my left arm at the elbow, wrist and the index finger and thumb have lost certain movement. I?m left handed by the way!!!

I have since visited Stanmore Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital where I underwent surgery to investigate the extent of damage to the nerves. It was found that four of the nerves were only superficially injured and recovery is expected but it will obviously take a long time. One nerve however, the C7 nerve controlling elbow, index finger flexion and thumb flexion, was torn completely from my spinal cord by the impact. I have been told that it is possible to eventually transplant a nerve from my tricep onto this site thus restoring certain movement.

Since the accident I have lost a lot of weight, mainly in muscle. I know I will build this back up again and cannot wait to get back to the gym again. I have learnt to adapt quite quickly to just using my right arm for all tasks. Its funny how even mundane ativities such as putting toothpaste on the brush now takes alot more thought than ever!!!

My next appointment with my surgeon is in May when the decision will be taken on further operations on my shoulder and arm.

And I suppose thats me really.......Please feel very free to email me on: marcsonfire@aol.com......Its always good to here from others in my situation and well, you never know, one of you may be able to inform how to tie shoelaces with one hand (still cant get my head round that one!!!)

Anyway......Thank you for taking time to read my story and I hope it gives some amount of support to others just like other stories have done for me.

Thank You


Marc

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