Bolton motorcyclist's road to recovery after crash in Manchester

Stephen Darbyshire, 27, who is from Tonge Fold, and now lives in Ashton, was involved in the collision involving a 4x4 on Princess Street, Manchester on Thursday January 11.

He has been left with a broken wrist, and a broken thigh bone, which meant he needed surgery to fit a metal pole from his hip down to his left thigh, and surgery to have metal plates and pins in his right wrist.

This means he cannot go up and down the stairs by himself and needs constant support.

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Stephen's broken thigh after surgery (Image: Public)His sister Leanne Jacques, who lives in Tonge Fold, says that it will be a long road to recovery before he starts to heal.

She said: “He quickly got admitted, and we were all really concerned.

“When Stephen was going to hospital, they said that there was a risk of infection or the loss of his leg.

“His femur (thigh bone) had completely snapped, which is why he needed the metal rod.

“It was pretty bad, and he has only just gone home.”

Leanne says that the accident has affected him so much that he has nightmares and feels as though he may be suffering from a form of PTSD.

She said: “We have been trying to cheer him up and trying to keep his spirits up because when he was in hospital visiting hours were limited on the major trauma unit which is understandable because people have a lot going on there.”

Stephen during his recovery in hospital (Image: Public)Stephen also has a passion for Thai boxing, which he did at Sandy Holt’s Muay Thai Boxing Club, which Leanne says he will not be able to do anymore.

As a self-employed plasterer Stephen would need to get his own insurance to help cover the costs whilst he is not working.

But he did not get this, and Leanne says that she is also self-employed, but never thought about it until now.

She added: “I am self-employed, and I have never thought about insurance before, but this has made me think of it.

“Maybe self-employed people need to think about insurance for things like this.”

It will take six weeks for Stephen’s wrist to heal, but there is no timeframe for his thigh bone, which he needs to continue to bend so that he has full movement once he has recovered.

This means that Stephen does not know when he will be able to return to work, which adds extra financial stress, to him, his partner, and their two children.

Leanne has set up a GoFundMe to try and help Stephen during his recovery process.

Click here (www.gofundme.com/f/my-brother-with-costs-while-unable-to-work) to help support Stephen during this difficult time.

If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.