Calvin Cheyne, 28, from St Fergus near Peterhead, was admitted to hospital for a routine operation on July 18, 2024, to treat agonising headaches from a Chiari Malformation – a bulge in the back of the brain that puts pressure on the spinal cord. After the surgery, complications arose when he choked on a piece of toast, causing his lungs to collapse and sending him into respiratory failure.
The Incident
Calvin spent 22 weeks on life support, with his family called to his bedside three times to say their final goodbyes after doctors feared he would not survive. Speaking publicly for the first time, the former offshore ROV pilot recalled the moment his life changed forever. He told the Record: "I thought I had nothing to worry about it, so I didn't do too much research into it. I put my life into someone else's hands.
"The neurosurgeon said everything went fine but it all went wrong when one of the nurses gave me a bit of toast in the morning because I was hungry. I wasn't meant to be given any food and then I choked and it went into my lungs causing them to collapse and into respiratory failure."
Recovery Against the Odds
Doctors warned Calvin, who has battled sepsis twice, meningitis and a suspected stroke since leaving hospital, that he would never move below his neck again. However, after his family raised more than £100,000 to fund specialist rehabilitation, stem cell treatment and intensive physiotherapy – unavailable through the NHS for his spinal cord injury – he has begun to regain movement.
"I was told I would never be able to move anything from the neck down," he said. "However, we started fundraising for stem cell treatment and physical therapy and my condition had improved dramatically. Although I can't walk or stand up, I now have movement in all four limbs. Without those donations, I would never have received the therapy and my stem cell treatment and I would still not be able to move anything from the neck down. It's remarkable."
Fundraising for Freedom
Calvin has travelled to America for rehabilitation and has recently returned from Colombia after further stem cell treatment. He is also beginning intensive physiotherapy at the Matt Hampson Foundation in Leicester. Despite his progress, everyday life remains a struggle. His family are now hoping to raise £18,000 through GoFundMe for an Exoquad – a wheelchair-accessible all-terrain electric vehicle that would allow Calvin to spend more time outdoors with his wife Stefanie and daughter Emily.
He said: "I can't spend long in my electric wheelchair because I’m in a seated position and the vibration off the pavement sends pain up my nerves. I can only use it for around 30 minutes at a time. An Exoquad would change all of this. It allow me to create memories with my little girl and wife by taking them to the beach or on walks with the dog. It will give me a lease of life that I never believed I would get back. I still can’t believe what has happened to me but it’s all about making the best of living life how it is now and adapting. Regaining some freedom by spending more time with my family outside, would mean the world."
