Window Cleaner To Thank Air Ambulance With Thousand Mile Bike Ride

Zach and friends make 1,000-mile journey to thank doctor who saved his life: A year ago Zach Davey woke from an induced coma to be told he was lucky to be alive. The week before, the 20-year-old had been rushed to hospital by air ambulance with serious head and brain injuries after a life-threatening motorcycle accident. Twelve months on, Zach and two friends are preparing to cycle close to 1,000 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End to raise money for the team of flying doctors who saved his life. He said: "It has been a long road to recovery and now I'm doing well, although I do have problems with my short term memory and sometimes can suffer from epileptic fits. "However, if it wasn't for the air ambulance I may not be here today, let alone riding nearly 1,000 miles."

Window cleaner Zach, from Hinckley, was out riding with friends when the accident happened in Fenn Lanes, near Dadlington, in June 2009. He said he remembered swerving to avoid a car before crashing into a tree stump. "I remember waking up and seeing my bike in bits down the road," he said. "I started to cry, then tried to get up and couldn't. "Next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital."



Zach was given emergency treatment at the scene before being flown to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire by the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) in under 10 minutes. The service which covers Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Rutland was busy on another mission at the time of Zach's accident. The journey by road would have taken around 40 minutes. The speed of the air ambulance staff was vital to ensuring Zach's survival. In hospital he was found to have suffered two serious brain haemorrhages and was placed in a week-long induced coma to give his body a chance to recover.

He then spent a further week in hospital. He said: "Doctors in the hospital told me that if it wasn't for the air ambulance I would have been paralysed or worse and I am truly grateful. "Having the doctor on board the air ambulance definitely made a difference. Quite simply they brought hospital to me and saved my life." Zach and his friends Richard Earp and Tom Dickinson, also from Hinckley, aim to complete the gruelling bike ride in 13 days and raise £3,000 in sponsorship. The trio are to begin their attempt on Friday, August 27.

“Once in hospital my family and friends were told that I had severely bruised my brain, I was in a controlled coma for 10 days. The doctors had to try two times to bring me round as I had done so much damage to my head. “Now I’m on the road to recovery, 14 months ahead of schedule and we are attempting to push bike 1,000 plus miles. We are hoping to raise at least £3,000.”
Other fundraising events are being held throughout the months leading up to ride at the end of August. These include a line dancing night with a bike bonanza prize draw during the night. Tickets will be available once a date has been decided. For further details search on Facebook for Zach, Tom and Rich cycle John O’Groats to Lands End for Air Ambulance. Donations can also be made at http://www.justgiving.com/thebigcycleride2010.

Window Cleaners Helping Out - Can You?

Stuart Webster aka "The Marmite Man" - you may remember this blog a while back! - is raising money for the Sheffield Hospitals Charitable Trust. Follow his exploits on Twitter by clicking the picture above. Stuart says, "Over the past few years I've been involved in several fund-raisers for charities. The last 2 have involved me, a bike and some friends!" "In September 2008 Mark Street, Jonny Stokes and myself planned and finished a 190km Coast-2-Coast ride from Workington in the Lake District to Sunderland." "We did this over 3 days and even though we enjoyed the experience, I had hoped for better weather." "The 2009 charity event didn't have any direction." "Then we bought the boys a road bike each, they loved it and wanted a challenge." "In 2006 I did the Cat & Fiddle Challenge, a 88km ride from Stoke taking in the 7 mile climb up the Cat & Fiddle road to Buxton." "In 2009 all three of us will take up the challenge." "If you would like to donate please see my Just Giving page." Stuart Webster runs his Sunshine Window Cleaning in Derbyshire.

Family hopes visit to US sea-life park could aid disabled schoolboy. A chance to swim with dolphins could help kieran, 10, who suffers from rare genetic disease. The family of a severely disabled schoolboy born without a sense of danger is planning a potentially life-changing mission to the other side of the world. Keiran Buchan has Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental delay. The 10-year-old has never spoken a word in his life, sleeps for just one hour each night and has difficulty walking. Because he has no perception of danger, he needs to be supervised and kept safe around the clock.
All over his family home at Crimond, between Peterhead and Fraserburgh, cabinets, doors and appliances are fitted with safety locks and protective covers. Parents Neil and Linda say that if the front door is left open, Keiran is likely to wander out into the street. He will think nothing about playing with electrical sockets, picking up knives or exploring potentially hazardous household objects. Sadly, there is no known cure for Angelman Syndrome and there is only a limited amount that therapies can do. But the Buchans are desperate to give their son a better quality of life and they are now pinning their hopes on a planned trip to America, where they hope a visit to a Florida sea-life park could make a notable difference.
The family hope to take Keiran swimming with dolphins. They have discovered sessions which are specifically designed for youngsters with Angelman syndrome and similar conditions. Mr Buchan, 37, said: “It will be an amazing experience for him, but more importantly these sessions could boost his confidence and increase his development rate. “It’s going to be a lot of work and it will cost a lot of money, but if it meant I could hear Keiran saying his first word it would all be worth it. That would be the best thing in the world for us.”
Window cleaner Mr Buchan, of The Corse, Crimond, is organising a skydive to raise money for the trip and also for charity Assert (the Angelman Syndrome Support Education Research Trust). On Saturday, October 3, he will jump from an aircraft 8,000ft above St Andrews. The family, including Keiran’s sisters Sammy, 14, Kerri-Marie, 13, and younger brother Rhys, six, are planning various other fundraising events over the coming months. Mr Buchan said: “Keiran’s a happy boy who enjoys life, but likes to keep himself to himself. “We know there are families with children with Angelmans who set up CCTV to watch over them 24 hours a day, but we don’t want to do that. “We want him to have as normal a life as any other kid his age.” Keiran is a pupil at the Anna Ritchie School for children who have special learning needs at Peterhead. For more information on Mr Buchan’s sky dive log on to "Just Giving."