Martyn’s injuries were so severe that his family was warned he might never wake up
Martyn’s injuries were so severe that his family was warned he might never wake up
A motorcyclist who nearly died in an horrific crash on a busy West Derby road “had to start his life again” after “losing everything”. Martyn Wynne, 41, had worked as a stonemason for 25 years and had “never missed a single day of work” before the road accident landed him in a five-week coma.
Martyn, from Fazakerley, was on his way to his mum’s house in Dovecot on Sunday, August 27, last year when the front wheel of his motorbike hit a pothole in the middle of Queens Drive. He said: “It was around 10.20am. I was in the middle lane and was turning into the left-hand lane when I hit a pothole. I lost control on the front of my bike and my memory just goes. The last thing I remember is hitting that pothole.
“I woke up in hospital five weeks later, and when I woke up I had something called post-traumatic amnesia. I have no memory of what happened for about a month and a half after I woke up.
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“Looking at me now, you’d think there was nothing wrong with me, but I still feel it all the time. My right arm and right leg are still numb. My body is not what it was.
“I worked every day of my life for 25 years, but now I can’t do anything. Even walking around is a struggle. I have a crutch with me whenever I go outside because my balance is off.
“I had 32 bleeds on the brain, so I’m really, really lucky that I’m even sitting here talking today.”
Martyn’s injuries were so severe that his family was warned he might never wake up – and discussions were had about turning off his life support machine. His brush with death took a massive toll on his life, as he suffered from mobility problems which left him unable to return to work. He was also forced to give up his driving licence, as DVLA rules state drivers must not return to the roads after suffering a serious brain injury.
He also suffered from depression, which caused his relationship to break down, and he moved into a new home.
He said: “I had everything I wanted out of life: a job, a home, a car, relationship. I had so much and I lost everything all because of that crash.
“I’ve had to literally start my life again. I lost my career. I lost my driving licence because I was in a coma. I wasn’t the same person I was before. Emotionally I was frustrated – the little things add up. I could write a book about the last year and a half.
“I feel like I am so lucky to be alive. For the first 12 months I was in complete denial than anything had even happened. I didn’t want anything to do with doctors, but everything built up to the point I had to reach out for help because I couldn’t manage on my own, both physically and mentally.
“All you can do is look towards the future and hope for the best. Lots of doctors did not expect me to survive. They gave me a 5% chance of survival. They were two days away from switching off my life support at one point. There was a lot standing against me but without those doctors I wouldn’t be here now. That’s something I’m very grateful for.”
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “The Council is not able to comment on individual cases. The complainant has the right to submit a claim which will be investigated and a decision provided in due course.”
