A LOCAL cyclist’s friends have sent out a desperate plea to fund an air ambulance to Scotland, following a tragic accident which left a man paralysed from the neck down.
On Thursday, May 4, John Telfer and a group of friends went for a bike ride along the local roads. During the ride, between Pedreguer and Alcalalí, one of his friends hit a raised tree root on a shaded part of the road, causing him to fall off straight in front of John.
John (pictured centre), who is from Moraira, was unable to avoid him and crashed into his friend. He was thrown from his bike, causing him to somersault over the handlebars. He landed so badly that his neck was broken in two places.
After being stabilised by the emergency services at the roadside, both John and his friend were transferred to Dénia Hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries, John was then transferred to La Ribera Hospital in Alzira to undergo specialist treatment in the intensive care unit.
A day after John’s accident, his wife Dawn realised with utter horror that their private medical insurance had expired just two days before.
To add to their anguish, they then found that to get John back to a spinal injury unit in Scotland for specialist treatment, they would have to pay privately for an air ambulance service requiring a doctor, nurse and specialist equipment on board during the flight. The approximate cost for this alone is at least €20,000.
On Sunday morning, desperate to assist, their friends decided to secretly step in and help, and set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for John’s cause. The friends decided on a target of €60,000, as John will need ongoing constant medical care, a motorised wheelchair, and adaptations to his home. Within the first four hours, over €4,000 had been donated by friends, family and the cycling community.
To donate to John’s fund, visit www.gofundme.com/johntelfer, where daily updates on his progress are being made.
