Dad felt leg 'snap' in horror accident before it was amputated

Simon Hall, from Cumbernauld, was in a horror quad bike accident while on a family holiday to Fort William.

The 48-year-old, from Cumbernauld, tried to stop the speeding vehicle with his foot but quickly realised it had caused serious damage.

Simon said: “I was on a quad bike and it was going down a hill and it was going too fast.

“Somebody was driving, I was the passenger, and I put my foot down, which I'm not supposed to do, but the guy wasn't braking in time.

“So I kind of took the decision that I'd rather get hurt than two of us get hurt.

“My foot got stuck and I had to pull out between the rock and the quad bike.

“I felt my leg snap and it was flapping and I thought I'd lost my leg then.”

Simon now helps other amputees (Image: Sourced)

The dad-of-three was rushed to hospital where medics managed to save his leg, but he remained in extreme pain.

His leg then started to go black and the pain continued to grow, leaving Simon and his doctor deciding to amputate the limb.

Simon said: “It was a condition called chronic regional pain syndrome. My leg was starting to go black.

"I couldn't put any covers on it or anything over it. It was just horrendous pain.

“Thankfully I got a surgeon who knew what it was and made a decision that they would amputate my leg. So I'm so thankful for that because it's the best decision I've made.”

“It wasn't a hard decision to make because of the pain I was in, and I had no life, I couldn't do anything, I couldn't go anywhere.”

Simon had to give up his job as a pastry chef after the accident and now spends his time volunteering at the hospital.

As a dedicated volunteer at University Hospital Hairmyres, he uses his experience, which happened 12 years ago, to provide hope and encouragement to patients facing similar trials.

He said: “My heart goes out to folk who don’t have visitors. By coming in and spending five minutes with them, I can make someone’s day.

"Some can't get up at all, some can only get up for a day, maybe once a week. Just the time you spend, a couple of minutes listening to them, it does help them.

“Being an amputee, I can talk to other amputees and let them know what the journey is like. If they've got any questions, they can ask me.

"There have been patients who have not had their amputation yet and they’ve asked to speak to me just for advice.

“I just tell them my experiences and listen to what they’re saying. Every time they decided to go for it, because life’s too short.

“If you're in pain, it just destroys your life. I'm happy if my advice helps them make the right decision for themselves.”

NHS Lanarkshire is currently recruiting new volunteers.

To find out more about volunteering, visit here.