Alan Jenkins: Father to be back home for Christmas after fundraising drive

Alan Jenkins, of St Georges, is set to be home in a newly adapted bungalow by December 4, his family say.

It comes after a major fundraising drive by the family saw thousands raised in Alan's honour, to help pay for adaptations to his home, a new wheelchair and an accessible vehicle.

The Jenkins family wanted to raise £15,000 to help get their father Alan some normality, after he was paralysed from the chest down, but today, Alan's son Andrew said they have smashed their target by more than £10,000.

Alan has been away from his home since September 2016, when he almost died in a crash during the New Forest 103-mile cycling sportive.

He suffered a spinal cord injury and was airlifted to the neuro-intensive care unit in Southampton

His family were told he was unlikely to survive, but he pulled through. Later they were told he may never come off his ventilator, but after being moved to the critical care unit in Stoke, he was weaned off it and was able to able to breathe independently, swallow and enjoy his first meal since the accident.

Moved to the Midlands centre for spinal injury in Oswestry in January, he underwent physiotherapy that allowed him to sit in a wheelchair.

He made phenomenal strides in his treatment but since April, he has been at the Morris Care Centre in Wellington. The family home that he and wife Celia lived in for 21 years has been sold and the couple bought a nearby bungalow.

But it needs adaptations to make it suitable for his needs. The family also needs a wheelchair accessible vehicle for him and want to be able to buy him a wheelchair with technology that will allow him to move it himself.

In total, through an online fundraising page, the family received £25,832 before it closed on August 25.

Alan worked for Bearing Man in Halesfield before the accident. He and Celia, 57, a buyer for Torton Bodies Limited on Holyhead Road, have three children, Sarah Hassett, 32, a Cardiff-based dentist, 30-year-old Louise, a paramedic who also lives in St Georges, and 25-year-old Andrew, a quantity surveyor who now lives in Kent.

Just months before his accident, Sarah welcomed her first child, Elliott, now one, a first grandchild for Alan and Celia.

Andrew said: "Currently works to the bungalow are still ongoing and dad is still in the Morris Care Home.

"Unfortunately we have had some setbacks with the electrical and finding trades to undertake the works.

"However, Mother is now determined that dad will be home on December 4 and is moving heaven and earth to ensure that is going to happen.

"Dad is still maintaining high spirits, but we are very aware that the care home isn’t the right place for him to be and are really looking forward to him being home for Christmas.

"We have been really touched at the response we have had, people have been so kind and generous.

"We raised almost £25,0000 on the JustGiving page alone, plus we have had other donations and people are holding other fund raising events."

On December 18, some of Alan's friends will be holding a night of live music to raise further funds for the equipment needed to help him with living at home.

The event will include live music from local unsigned artists, Buffett and Quiz.