A man who sustained life-changing injuries after a mountain bike accident has marked the 20th anniversary of the incident by visiting the base of the air ambulance service which came to his aid.
Cameron Wood, of Embleton, near Cockermouth, was 16 and working full time as a bike mechanic when he went out to train on some local dirt jumps with his friend Dave Armstrong.
Mr Wood had previously travelled around Britain most weekends either training or competing in downhill mountain bike races and things we’re looking promising; he achieved some positive results including a podium finish on what would be his last race.
On October 11 2004, Mr Wood and his teammate were riding their bikes in woods near Aspatria when the life-changing incident happened.
Mr Wood said: “There was nothing particularly challenging about the jumps, just the sort of things we’d done thousands of times before.
“With some shaped jumps, the smallest of things like your approach speed, or bodyweight position can make quite a big difference as you are kicked up into the air, and in this case I clearly got something wrong.
“I hit the ground shattering three vertebrae in my neck and badly damaged the spinal cord. I was really struggling to breathe as I had now lost the use of all the muscles that surround your lungs.
“I thought the helmet strap was tight and cutting into my throat but Dave could see there was no obstruction, he did the right thing and kept my helmet in place, while calling for help.”
The North West Ambulance Service and the Great North Air Ambulance Service responded.
Mr Wood was given oxygen and pain relief and transferred onto a board with head blocks before being carried across the road to where the helicopter had landed and was loaded inside.
He was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and taken to the spinal injuries unit where he was put into a coma for 11 days.
Mr Wood had his neck rebuilt and he was mechanically ventilated for 10 weeks.
After months of rehab he was eventually discharged from hospital and returned home around six months after the incident happened.
He said: “I can’t say it’s been easy, I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments to my life, from always being a very active lad either at work or just messing around, to suddenly losing all movement and sensation below my shoulders and having essentially no chance of ever regaining it again.
“It was a lot to try to come to terms with, it didn’t happen overnight, but I think that you have to accept what’s happened, try to stay positive and be grateful that things aren’t any worse, and move on, don’t dwell on the past.
“I’m very fortunate in many ways, I really have great friends and family, particularly my partner, she always puts other people first and is patient and understanding, and I think that’s a great quality to have in life.”
In 2008 Mr Wood required the services of the Great North Air Ambulance again when he became seriously unwell at home with an infection and his blood pressure was getting dangerously high.
He was flown to James Cook University Hospital where he received urgent care from spinal cord injury specialists.
He said: “Spinal cord injuries are complex and not always fully understood by staff at general hospitals, so in some cases it can be vital to get to those specialist units for treatment.
“It’s not just the paralysis that’s challenging, it’s all the health issues that can come with a high-level spinal cord injury, so it’s always reassuring to know that the Great North Air Ambulance could be here for us when we most need it.
“I’ve had countless operations over the years, plenty of ill health, and a few moments where it could have almost been the end.
“However, then there have been the good times, like the birth of our two amazing boys, Ozzy, five, and Reggie, three.
“I’ve enjoyed completing projects within our property renovation business, and also the simple things in life, like exploring the Lake District in my specially designed petrol engine quad bike, and now just recently my new all electric off-road wheelchair.
“Getting out in the fresh air with your favourite people is as good a day for me, as anybody could possibly ever have, able bodied or not.”
Following Mr Wood’s incident, his friends set up Cumbrian music festival CockRock, held annually from 2005 and raised £66,000 for charitable causes, including the Great North Air Ambulance, Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team and the local fire service.
He said: “Everybody loved the CockRock weekend and I would like to think that maybe one day some ambitious locals with a new vision and energy may be able to bring another charitable music festival back to Cockermouth.”
To mark the 20th anniversary of his incident, Mr Wood, now 36, recently visited the air ambulance’s base with his partner Kat Silver and his sons and they met some of the charity’s critical care team, who gave them a tour of their aircraft.
Mr Wood said: “I don’t think everyone is aware that when they see the distinct white and green helicopters flying around and the critical care vehicles out and about, that it is all entirely funded through local donations and that’s something the people of the North should be extremely proud of.
“Having to raise over £9 million every year isn’t easy, some may remember that in the past our helicopters have had to be grounded due to serious financial difficulties, but thankfully, the ambitious staff of the Great North Air Ambulance don’t dwell on the struggles of the past, they keep focused and optimistic and keep on going.”
