A 16-year-old boy has become paralysed from the neck down in a horrific dirt bike accident.
Noah Cosby, who lives in Bierton near Aylesbury, fell from his ‘beloved’ bike on Monday, March 8, which broke his back in two places.
During the ordeal, the teenager never lost consciousness and spent the next six weeks at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, before he moved to the world-renowned spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury.
However, according to a GoFundMe page that has been set up to help the stricken teenager, ‘as talented as the NHS are at fixing broken bones, a monumental lack of funding prevents Stoke from offering any meaningful rehabilitation.’
READ MORE: Devastated owner speaks out after beloved pet dogs are killed in train line accidents
This has led to the fundraising page being set up to help Noah achieve his new goal, which is to be able to walk again.
A snippet from the GoFundMe page
A target of £100,000 has been set with £57,859 being raised so far.
A snippet from the GoFundMe page reads: “We have had amazing support and guidance from the most unexpected places, and we absolutely believe that Noah’s story is actually just beginning.
“It’s therefore now more than ever that we desperately need the internet to please do its thing.
“Noah's mindset tells him that he will walk again, but to give him a real shot at that, we need more of everything.
The accident happened in March
“He needs full time physio, not just the three hours a week that is available at Stoke Mandeville.
“He needs hydrotherapy.
READ MORE: Teenager with Buckinghamshire links goes missing in Bedfordshire
“He needs robotic stimulation.
“He needs options and therapies that are only available through the private sector, all of which come with a hefty price tag.
“Many of you reading this will already know Noah but hopefully a great deal of you will only just be learning about him.
A result of the surgery
“Noah is possibly the most driven, level-headed 16-year old I know.
“In a nutshell, Noah is always active.
"His biggest loathing is to be stuck indoors.
“His life now has become that of a caged bird with clipped wings.
“Please, if you can, help us free our beautiful boy.”
Following the accident, Noah has six hours of emergency spinal surgery from the team at the JR (John Radcliffe) in Oxford, which saw two titanium rods and nine screws straighten and steady Noah’s T6 and T7 vertebrae.
And despite there being a long way to go until Noah is eventually able to walk again, his parents are confident that with the support they have received, the teen will reach his goal.
The GoFundMe page continued: “There was no blame, no anger, no excuses from Noah, just hope and positivity.
“Whether he knew it or not, Noah had given us our first flicker of belief, it was a rock to cling onto as we stared into the darkness.
Noah was transferred from the John Radcliffe in Oxford to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury
“The tick of a second hand, the free fall of that final grain of sand, the blink of an eye.
READ MORE: One for your furry friends - Puppy cafe to stop off in Wycombe this summer
“That’s all it took for Noah’s ability to move and feel to come to an end.
“He’s hugely passionate about the things he loves.
"Skateboarding, riding his dirt bike, and playing guitar.
“Noah learnt to walk at nine months old and since then he has always been at one with his body whilst pushing the boundaries of what he’s capable of achieving.”
To donate, visit https://uk.gofundme.com/f/BackingNoah.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here