Devastated Father Paralysed in Car Crash May Never Hug Daughter Again
A young father from Broadstairs, Kent, confronts the heartbreaking reality that he may never properly embrace his four-year-old daughter again following a catastrophic car accident that left him paralysed from the neck down. Steven Gibbons, aged 32, was driving on the A28 when his vehicle caught a kerb at a roundabout and overturned, resulting in life-altering injuries.
Severed Spinal Cord and Quadriplegia Diagnosis
Medics discovered that Steven had suffered a severed spinal cord, with minimal prospects for recovery, after he lost all sensation in his limbs. The former head chef now faces a future entirely reliant on a wheelchair, having been diagnosed with quadriplegia. His younger sister, Hannah, aged 30, poignantly described one of the most devastating consequences of his condition.
"He will never be able to properly hug his daughter again," Hannah stated. "He can't get up and run around with her, and she sees him differently. She's very cautious around him now."
The Night of the Accident and Family's Hopes
Hannah recalled the moment she learned of the collision on 18 May last year, when police arrived at their shared home late at night. Rushing to King's College Hospital in London, she found Steven in an induced coma, with initial X-rays revealing fractures in two locations in his neck.
In the subsequent days, the family clung to desperate hopes for some movement recovery. "We were sort of desperately trying to seek that validation that something good was going to happen," Hannah explained. "One of the nurses said she felt his fingers twitch, so we took it, and we ran with it. We were very happy."
However, doctors later confirmed the grim prognosis of quadriplegia, shattering those early glimmers of optimism.
Psychological Toll and Long Road to Adaptation
While Steven avoided severe brain injury and remains conscious with normal speech, the psychological impact has been profound. His sister revealed that upon seeing him, Steven's first words were, "My life's over." Hannah responded, "Well, at least you've got one," to which he retorted, "Well, what life is this? I can't feel anything."
Although Steven has grown "very optimistic" in recent months, Hannah notes that some days he is simply "just fed up," grappling with the immense challenges of his new reality.
Experimental Surgery and Fundraising Efforts
After spending over eight months in hospital, currently receiving specialist care at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire—130 miles from home—Steven's primary wish is to return to Broadstairs. He is considering experimental shoulder surgery that might restore some function to his arms and hands, though the procedure carries only a 10 percent success rate.
To facilitate his homecoming, his family has launched a GoFundMe appeal to raise £25,000 for necessary modifications to his parents' property. These include:
- Building an extension to make the annexe mobility-appropriate
- Purchasing a mobility car with required accessories
- Covering various associated costs for his long-term care
"There are so many different costs that we have, just to get him home," Hannah said. "He will never be able to live by himself again." The fundraiser has already garnered over £2,100 in less than a week, demonstrating community support for the Gibbons family.
Steven had been working as head chef at Njord Bar and Cafe in Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate, at the time of the accident—just two days before he was scheduled to start a new role at the Korean Cowgirl in Canterbury. His journey now focuses on adaptation, resilience, and the unwavering hope of reuniting with his loved ones in a home transformed to meet his needs.
