'˜Air ambulance saved my grandson's life after motorbike collision'

Money from a charity fundraiser will be donated to the air ambulance - to thank quick response teams who helped save the life of a young schoolboy after a collision with a motorbike.

Joe Boyer, 14, of Derwent View, Mastin Moor, was involved in the incident on Lowgates, Staveley, in April this year.

The Netherthorpe School pupil was airlifted to Sheffield Children’s Hospital with injuries to his brain, back, neck, legs, kidneys, liver, spleen, pelvis and suffered burns all over his body. He was also in a coma for two weeks.

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His auntie, Sandra Attenborough, 28, of Fern Avenue, Middlecroft, Staveley, recently won a charity X Factor singing competition. The winner got to choose the charity which would receive donations from next year’s event and Sandra chose the air ambulance.

Joe’s gran Lesley, 58, also of Fern Avenue, said: “If it was not for the air ambulance he would not have got to hospital as quickly as he did. It is not worth thinking about what could have happened.”

Football enthusiast Joe has recently had undergone a number of skin graft operations after suffering severe burns to his hands during the collision.

“Joe never complains no matter how much pain he is,” Lesley told the Derbyshire Times. “He is still having problems but he is doing really well.

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“He is very frustrated that he can’t go out with his mates but they are always visiting him.

“He is walking and talking quite well. His scar management is going to go on for a long time. He has come through his brain injury quite well.”

Lesley added: “The support has been unreal. From friends, family and even complete strangers.

“People that don’t even know Joe but have read his story have donated.”

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The annual charity event took place at The Bridge pub in Sandiacare and involved six singers performing in front of a panel of judges who decided the winner.

Sandra said: “The air ambulance were the first on the scene and Joe would probably not be here without them to be honest. It sounded if he was not going to make it but he has come so far.”

Last month Joe’s mum Marie, 40, described the agony her family went thorough as they waited for news on Joe’s condition.

“We nearly lost him a couple of times,” Marie explained.

“We were just thinking ‘is he going to come through or not’?

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“It has been very tiring, we have gone through a lot of ups and downs.”

Marie and her husband Neil, 58, had been on their way home when they were told of the accident on the afternoon of Saturday, April 23.

The Staveley junior football team player and Chesterfield FC supporter had been out with friends when the collision happened.

“It was about seven or eight hours before we got to see Joe,” Marie added. “He was in surgery for eight hours the first day and then seven hours the following day and he has had two operations.

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“His friends have been quite traumatised by it and they would not speak about it at first but they have been to see him.

“They had to fix his legs and fix his pelvis because it was twisted.

“He went back into intensive care a couple of weeks ago with an infection.”

Joe, who has two brothers James, 16, and Mark, 24, and sister Megan, 27, is a keen football and rugby player.

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He has been learning to talk again in hospital and will have scar management for a number of years.

Marie added: “He loves his football and his rugby.

“He is into playing rather than watching. He is more of an outdoors person.”

The family have held a number of fundraising events for the air ambulance, including a charity walk which raised £400.

On Monday, August 29 between 12noon to 12pm, a family fun day has been organised at The Blacksmith Arms, Blacksmith Lane, Calow. All funds raised will go towards Sheffield Children’s Hospital. More at: www.facebook.com/blacksmithsarmscalow/