A devastating car accident has left a young father from Kent with life-altering injuries, potentially robbing him of the ability to hug his daughter properly ever again.
A Life Changed in an Instant
Steven Gibbons, a 32-year-old former head chef from Broadstairs, Kent, was driving on the A28 when his vehicle clipped a kerb at a roundabout and flipped over. The crash, which occurred on May 18 last year, resulted in him breaking his neck in two places and severing his spinal cord, leaving him quadriplegic with no feeling in his arms or legs.
Emotional Toll on the Family
His younger sister, Hannah, 30, described the profound impact of the injury, noting that Steven may never be able to properly embrace his four-year-old daughter again. "He can't get up and run around with her, and she sees him differently," she said. "She's very cautious around him now." The family initially clung to hope after a nurse reported feeling his fingers twitch, but doctors later confirmed the severity of the spinal cord damage, dashing their optimism.
Long Road to Recovery
Steven was placed in an induced coma at King's College Hospital in London before being transferred to QEQM Hospital in Margate and then to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire for specialist treatment, where he remains over 130 miles from home. While he escaped serious brain damage and can talk normally, the emotional strain has been immense. "The first thing he said when I saw him was, 'My life's over,'" Hannah recalled.
Future Prospects and Fundraising Efforts
Despite the challenges, Steven has become "very optimistic" according to his family, though he has difficult days. He is considering experimental shoulder surgery with a 10% chance of success to regain some arm and hand movement. The crash happened just two days before he was due to start a new job in Canterbury, adding to the family's hardships.
To bring Steven home, his family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund adaptations at his parents' house in Broadstairs, including mobility car deposits and an extension to make the annexe accessible. The fundraiser, set up six days ago, has raised over £2,100 towards a £25,000 target to cover these essential costs, as Steven will require ongoing support and cannot live independently.
