Blink of an eye saves man's life

As crash victim Richard Rudd lay paralysed and apparently in a coma, his devastated family knew what they had to do.

The Kidderminster father-of-two had said that if anything happened to him, the last thing he wanted was to be kept alive on a life support machine.

Reluctantly, his father agreed to treatment ending for his 43-year-old son at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

But doctors noticed the previously unresponsive patient was able to blink his eyes for the first time.

When asked to signal if he wanted to stay alive, the former coach driver's categoric answer was yes.

Far from being brain-dead, as his family feared, he was aware of his situation and finally communicated by the only means he could.

Now, nine months on, he can move his head from side to side and smile.

He will always need round-the-clock specialist care but can interact with his family, including his delighted daughters Charlotte, 18, and Bethanie, 14.

Mr Rudd suffered horrific spinal injuries as he was thrown 20ft from his motorbike on October 23 last year after being hit by a car as he pulled out of a filling station. He was diagnosed as paraplegic at the scene.

Despite the best efforts of Addenbrooke's doctors, he showed no response to family or friends and was thought to be in a coma.

His sister, Tracy, said he told her that if he was ever badly hurt in an accident he would not want to live.

Mr Rudd's father, also Richard, said the family believed there was "no way in a million years" he would want to live with his injuries but it happened.

"It's real life - it's not pretend. He is in that situation. The will to live takes over.

"But when we see Rich now you can see his eyes light up and you know he is there. You know he is coming back."