Publish date: 15 August 2025
In March 2003, Allan fell off a roof and broke his back and as a result suffered injuries, meaning he had lost the use of both his legs (paraplegia). Allan received treatment at several hospitals and by August 2003 Allan was discharged by the rehab team. Joyce commented: “We were all so impressed with how well he was doing considering the extent of the injury he suffered. We had our home adapted suitable for his wheelchair, with ramps and adjustments to the doors.”
Life continued for Allan including the arrival of grandchildren and overcoming several more challenges including seeing their adapted home completely flood in 2015 and again the next year. Allan commented, “We just rode through it together”
Allan faced two more health scares, firstly surgery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer and then in June 2022 he suffered a heart attack on Joyce’s birthday. At the time Allan, who used to work in heavy plant machinery, was fixing a compressor in the garage after initially thinking it was acid reflux but Joyce, who was a community nurse, recognized the signs and called an ambulance. Following investigations, it was decided that Allan needed coronary artery surgery. Unfortunately, there is very little experience across the country in offering this kind of surgery to patients with paraplegia and hence the team contacted other spinal and cardiac units for advice. After some discussion between the anaesthetic team led by Dr Knowles and the physiotherapy team led by Toby Cremer, Mr Zacharias and his team performed a triple coronary artery bypass graft surgery for Allan in December 2024.
Mr Zacharias said, “It is very rare to need to offer cardiac surgery to patients who have suffered a spinal injury. It was thanks to a number of exceptional colleagues who made it possible to operate on Allan. From his anaesthetic management and the physiotherapy and the nursing input post op - it was all crucial to the success of his excellent recovery”.
Now confident in the extent of his recovery, both Allan and Joyce are looking forward to the future and making plans to travel to Canada for their 40th wedding anniversary. Allan has always loved holidays and particularly enjoyed skiing. Allan said, “I am making the most of life! Our five grandchildren look forward to sleeping over and I’m teaching one of them to ride his bike. I can’t thank the cardiac team here enough, it means so much to both of us and it was thanks to all those people working together that made it possible for me to continue living life.”
