A severe head injury almost claimed Matthew Lee's life. But he says the near-death experience was the best thing that ever happened to him. Health writer Kate Lahive reports
IN October 2002 Matthew Lee was about to start a new life – but not in quite the way he expected.
His marriage had recently broken down, his "dream house" in Crosspool had been sold, and he was aware his materialistic lifestyle had not brought him h
appiness.
Matthew, aged 34, said: "We had a great life – we had the house we wanted in Crosspool, the holidays, the cars – and the credit cards. All our friends thought we were the perfect couple. But I now know we were living a lie because we were never 100 per cent happy."
On the day he collected the keys to his new home in Crookes, which he thought would bring him a fresh start, Matthew and a group of five friends set off to the Lake District to spend the day mountain biking.
The group, all experienced cyclists, took two or three hours to cycle to the top of Helvellyn and were nearly at the end of their scenic descent when Matthew became the victim of a freak accident.
He said: "I shot off in front of the five other guys, they couldn't keep up with me. I was going over boulders at about 30mph. Then the front wheel fell off the bike. I landed on my head, shattering my helmet and was completely out of it."
Fortunately, his friends knew what to do.
One raced down the mountain to summon help while two other friends, who are doctors, were able to support him until more help arrived.
Luckily a mountain rescue team was already in the area and was on the scene within 10 minutes.
Matthew's condition was classified as number three in an index showing the seriousness of an injury – at number four he would have been certified dead.
He suffered head injuries, eye damage and a fractured shoulder and was airlifted to a Carlisle hospital. The speedy journey meant he was on a ventilator just 51 minutes after the accident.
Arriving in hospital within 60 minutes of an accident – which medics describe as the 'golden hour' – increases a patient's chances of survival.
Even so, the news was not good. His head had swollen to twice its normal size. Matthew's parents and two brothers were told the next 48 hours were crucial and he could live or die.
Meanwhile Matthew was oblivious to all that was going on around him.
He said: "Everything was completely black. When people spoke I'd see words – like the words coming down on the screen in Star Wars."
Steadily he began to recover and within weeks he was transferred to the Northern General Hospital's Osborne four ward, where he describes the staff as "fantastic".
His memory was affected – he couldn't remember where he lived, although he did have a visual memory. When he was taken to his parents' house in Lodge Moor, he only began to recognise the area when they were in the right road.
Matthew had to learn how to drive again and relearn the routes to his friends' homes which had been second nature.
Yet, although the whole experience was horrific for his family and friends, Matthew said for him it turned out to be a positive experience.
He said: "My friends had the grief and uncertainty to cope with, I had the support and love of my friends. I had done a lot of work for St Thomas' in Crookes and later found out that 2,000 people had prayed for me to get better.
"I've changed as a person. I stopped being materialistic and I started to realise that life is about people not about places. You don't need a posh house as long as you've got a place to stay. It's the people inside who count. For the first time in my life I'm completely happy."
Now Matthew says he appreciates being able to do ordinary things in life, like being able to see, get dressed, get to work and to have been able to resume his job as a financial adviser.
During his recovery Matthew decided he wanted run a marathon in four hours for the mountain rescue team who helped him on that fateful day in Cumbria.
Now he is training for the London Marathon on April 18 and is currently clocking up around 45 miles a week.
Matthew said: "Life is fantastic. I would not change what has happened."
He hopes to raise at least £1,000 for Patterdale Mountain Rescue. The service receives no Government funding and is staffed by trained volunteers, relying on donations to maintain the service.
Anyone who would like to support Matthew can make a donation via www.mountainrescue.org.uk or go to any branch of the Halifax bank and made a donation to Patterdale Mountain Rescue Association, account number d/94577053/5.
