£10,000 raised for Dudley student paralysed after mountain bike crash
A campaign to support a young mountain biker who was paralysed after falling from his bike has raised more than £10,000 in one week.
Peter Lloyd, aged 21, from Dudley, broke his neck in August last year – leaving him paralysed from the neck down.
The biker, who is a sports scholar at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, was a talented rider who had previously placed on the podium in a number of races.
The crash happened on the last 100 metres of a trail ride, shattering a vertebra after landing on his head.
Peter spent seven weeks in intensive care in Edinburgh on a ventilator and dialysis machine before being transferred to the National Spinal Injuries Unit at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Glasgow.
Now, the mountain bike community has rallied behind a campaign, raising more than £11,000.
Peter said: “I’m paralysed from the neck down now and use my chin to control my wheelchair.
“I still plan to live as well as my condition allows, along with my incredibly strong and supportive fiance.
“I’m so thankful that I didn’t suffer a head injury, so am still the same person I have always been.”
Fellow mountain biker, Ben Mills, launched the appeal on crowd funding page JustGiving to support Peter’s recovery and rehabilitation.
Peter hopes to use the money for physiotherapy in America – as well as an adapted wheelchair for him to use.
He added: “Thank you so much to everybody for their very kind donations.
“In the future, I hope to use the funds to travel to America for intensive physiotherapy, along with any future clinical trials, which might improve my condition.
“My other plans are to get a chin-controlled off-road wheelchair to allow me to go riding with friends – even if it is rather different to how it was before – and to buy an accessible van so that I can get around and also return to university to complete my degree in mechanical engineering.”
Ben said: “Pete is going to need as much support, both emotionally and financially, as possible as he adapts to the changes he has been dealt and goes through rehabilitation.
"Please dig deep whether you are a friend, fellow racer or part of the mountain biking community.”
To support the appeal go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/PeteLloyd-downnotout
