Two weeks ago today on the 18th September 2016 my brother Paul Alderton had a serious motorcycle accident in the UK. It was in the middle of a day out with friends on roads they have ridden for many years.
The accident happened between Duggleby and West Lutton in North Yorkshire on a clear day on a clear road approaching a bend. It appears that loss of front brake pressure was the cause although we will probably never know. Paul hit a grass bank and cartwheeled his Kawasaki ZX12R into and across the field a good distance. As his friends arrived to give assistance he had already removed his helmet and was obviously badly injured so calls were made and comfort given until assistance arrived.
Paul spent two and a half hours in the field being treated by paramedics before being transported by air ambulance to Hull Royal Infirmary. I managed to speak to him for about a minute on the Sunday evening whilst he was on Morphine. He didn't make much sense but we were just glad he was alive.
After the initial assessments the doctors revealed the extent of his injuries. He had badly broken both legs with multiple fractures in each, had pelvic and or hip damage, fifteen broken ribs and had fractured four vertebrae in his back. He was also suffering from fluid around his heart and lungs.
On the Monday morning Paul went into surgery for the first time on his legs and was in the operating theatre most of the day. After the surgery they left him sedated to allow his ribs to start the healing process without him being in discomfort. He was eventually brought around on Monday of the following week.
His second operation also on his legs took place on Wednesday of week two this time he was about 11hrs in theatre.
He has plates in his upper left leg, a pin through the Femur of his right leg and his lower left leg currently has a cage around it to hold all the pieces in place. We don’t know at this stage if he will need any more operations on his legs or anywhere else. However at a later stage the pin in his Femur may be removed
Paul always wears good, if not the best, biking gear he can afford which consisted of a Shoei helmet, Alpinestar jacket, gloves and boots and leather trousers from Infinity Motorcycles If it wasn't for the protection afforded by this equipment I doubt he would still be with us.
My brother is a salt of the earth person with a great sense of humour who would help anyone at a moments notice if they asked. He is currently single but has a great group of friends and family that are rallying around to help and support him.
Living in the UK with the NHS on hand is a great start as his initial treatment and subsequent operations are covered by them however Paul´s road to recovery will be a long one and his house will need to be adapted for him to cope while he is in a wheelchair recovering. The initial estimates are that he cannot put any weight on either of his legs for the next 6 weeks (minimum) and it is likely to be a year before the cage is removed.
These injuries are likely to affect him for the rest of his life but you can be sure that, knowing Paul, he will be back to work as soon as he possibly can, he just needs a little help to hold it all together in the meantime. His friends have set up a fund to help with his recovery, Details Here
When It All Goes Wrong - Update
When It All Goes Wrong - Fundraiser
