A Scots dad was left disabled and had to give up his business after being rushed into surgery for a hidden spinal injury. Ian Blyth, from Tranent, first began suffering from knee and lower back pain in 2018.
Discovery of the injury
Two years later, the dad-of-two was referred for physiotherapy, where doctors discovered he had an underlying degenerative disc disease. Further investigations revealed Ian had suffered a serious injury known as a Hangman’s fracture - a break to the second vertebra in the neck, which forms a ring around the spinal cord.
The 52-year-old was rushed into emergency spinal fusion surgery in a bid to save his life. While the operation was successful, Ian was left with life-changing injuries, severe pain and a disability that has dramatically altered his everyday life.
Impact on his life
He now relies on a wheelchair full-time and was forced to give up his job as a caterer - a career he loved. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, his daughter Katie Blyth said: "Back in 2018, my dad started experiencing knee pain and lower back pain so he went to the doctors."
"He was sent to the gym to lose weight and he was amazing at the gym. Fast forward to April 2020 and he was finally referred to physio. They checked his reflexes and they weren't happy with them. He was sent to neurology and he had an MRI which showed the hangman's break. He was rushed right into surgery to save his life, but he was left disabled and had to medically retire because of the disabilities he has now."
Loss of independence
Katie, 21, said the hardest part for her dad was giving up his job. He now has to rely on someone for every aspect of his life. She added: "I think for my dad, the hardest thing has been going from a hardworking guy who works non-stop to provide for us all, to quite literally being able to do nothing."
"He can't leave the house without relying on someone and if he wants to cook, he has to rely on someone being in just in case something goes wrong. He has lost a lot of his independence and his mental health has suffered a lot because he can't do anything."
"It honestly breaks my heart to see because he was living his dream before everything happened in 2020. He had to obviously sell his business because he couldn't do it anymore."
Fundraising for independence
Katie has set up a GoFundMe to raise £13,000 to buy Ian a specially powered wheelchair that will give him back his independence. It will allow him to not have to be pushed by someone else and he could leave the house on his own. To raise the money, Katie will be taking part in the biggest challenge of her life - multiple triathlons. She will be competing in an Ironman 70.30 next June.
The GoFundMe reads: "My dad has always been the person who puts everyone else first. He worked tirelessly to give me and my younger brother the best life possible, never asking for anything in return. Now it's my turn to give something back. I'm trying to raise £13,000 to buy Ian a specialist powered wheelchair that will give him back something priceless - his independence."
"This isn't just a wheelchair. It's the freedom to leave the house without relying on someone else. It's the ability to choose where he goes and when he goes. It's a chance to regain confidence, dignity and a piece of the life that was taken from him."
