A FORMER construction worker left paralysed from the neck down after he fell in snow has been given a new lease of life thanks to a fundraising campaign.

Ian Isherwood was 46 when he slipped and fell on a path leading from St Stephens Close to Lower Darcy Street, in Darcy Lever, three years ago.

The father-of-two, now aged 49, fell down some steps and through the fence of a neighbouring house, breaking his neck.

He was saved by passerby David Mills who heard his cries for help and found him lying striken in the snow, before calling an ambulance.

But Ian, who had been an active man who worked in construction and had just finished renovating his home, was paralysed and had to move to a specialist home in Southport for people with spinal injuries.

Now he has a new lease of life after a chance encounter in a hairdresser’s salon — between Ian’s mum Doreen Isherwood and David Mills’ sister Lisa Urmston.

They started a campaign to buy a specially-adapted wheelchair, and, after enlisting the help of Tracy Jones and Laura Paul, together organised two fundraising concerts, a charity cricket match and a bike ride between Southport and Bolton, which involved 50 cyclists and raised £5,000.

Now the group is celebrating after raising £13,000 in total — more than enough to pay for the state-of-the-art wheelchair, its insurance and maintenance fees.

Ian can go out on his own in the chair and is able to get the train by himself. Mrs Isherwood, aged 66, said the group had worked tirelessly to achieve the goal and said the chair had given her son more freedom.

She said: “We are just really, really grateful. It just shows that there are good people about who want to help.

“There is not a lot he can do, but now he has started to get out at last and that is something. This has opened up a lot for him and we are learning each day that he can do a little bit more.”