A cyclist from Sedgefield who suffered a brain injury in a serious collision more than three years ago has set his sights Paralympics glory after meeting the heroic team that saved his life.
Ben Hetherington, 26, was taking part in a time trial road bike race on May 23, 2019, when he was involved in a collision with a car on the A689 near Sedgefield.
In the horrific crash, he sustained injuries on his left-hand side including a broken wrist, fractured shoulder, and a traumatic brain injury – with doctors concerned about whether he was going to survive.
Read more: Darlington Wyvern Academy pays tribute to Chris Greaves after death at 47
Following the dramatic collision, an off-duty doctor came to the aid of Mr Hetherington, before paramedics from the North East Ambulance Service and a doctor and paramedic team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) arrived on scene.
Dr Dave Bramley, from GNAAS, who was on the scene the day that Mr Hetherington suffered ‘life changing’ injuries, said: “When we arrived on scene it was clear straight away that Ben had a significant head injury and needed some advanced interventions to help decrease the severity of it.
“We gave him an anesthetic and some medication to reduce the pressure on his brain and took him very quickly to a hospital with a neurological service.”
Mr Hetherington was airlifted to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he underwent surgery and several months of mental and physical rehabilitation.
He was transferred to Walkergate Park, a specialist neurological rehabilitation hospital in Newcastle, and was eventually discharged at the end of January 2020.
Despite a lengthy recovery process, Mr Hetherington was determined to return to cycling and this year he won a silver medal in the para C3 category 3k pursuit at the British Cycling National Track Championships.
He said: “When I found out I got silver I was like, is this real? I couldn’t believe it, I picked up the phone and told everyone.
“I’m aiming to try and get in the Paralympic squad, so hopefully that will happen.”
Mr Hetherington and his family recently visited the air ambulance base near Eaglescliffe to thank Dr Bramley.
He said: “If it wasn't for Dave and the team I wouldn't be here today telling this story so I can't thank them enough. The more people that fundraise for GNAAS the better because it's such a needed service.”
Dr Bramley added: “We were just blown away when we saw what Ben had managed to achieve with his cycling.
“From the time that we’d left him at the hospital we were very concerned that Ben wouldn't survive, and if he did, we expected him to have a very serious neurodisability as a result of his very severe injuries.
“It's just amazing to see how he is today and just knowing the amount of effort and determination he's shown to get to this stage through his rehabilitation is just really inspiring.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here