A father from Stockport who lost both his legs after falling ill on holiday is back home and has one Christmas wish: to walk again. Matthew Parkes, 38, collapsed and fell into a coma while celebrating his wedding anniversary in Majorca with his wife Pamela and their daughter Sophia.
After being flown back to the UK, he spent months in hospital and underwent a double leg amputation, also losing part of his hand. Now home with his family, which includes stepchildren Luka and Helena, he is determined to regain his mobility.
The business manager is raising funds for advanced prosthetics, with a target of £15,000. So far, nearly £9,000 has been donated. He said: “I’m so lucky to be home and with my family, this is going to be the best Christmas. My hope is to have my stand-in prosthetics on Christmas Day and maybe I’ll be able to stand for the children.”
Matthew’s ordeal began with a sore throat that rapidly worsened, leading to multiple organ failure on August 6. He was initially stuck in a private hospital in Palma because Wythenshawe’s ICU was full, but Pamela fought to secure his transfer. He was flown back on September 9 and remained in a coma for two months.
Now awake, Matthew is undergoing physiotherapy and learning to use prosthetics, though he often crawls around the house. He plans to cook Christmas dinner as usual. His wife Pamela said: “It’s unbelievable, Matthew shouldn’t be here really. Matt is really confident considering he has had no access to counselling.”
