A SUFFOLK man who lost a leg and almost died in a road accident is continuing the road to recovery after returning home from hospital.Doctors feared Dean Atwell, 31, would not survive after his motorbike collided with a van in Bacton on June 9.

A SUFFOLK man who lost a leg and almost died in a road accident is continuing the road to recovery after returning home from hospital.

Doctors feared Dean Atwell, 31, would not survive after his motorbike collided with a van in Bacton on June 9.

His life was saved four times as doctors brought him back from the brink and he spent more than a month in an intensive therapy unit.

Dean's recovery has made further progress after he was discharged from West Suffolk Hospital to stay with his parent in Barningham.

“It's great to be back,” said Dean, who before the crash lived in Gislingham and has also spent several years in Stowmarket.

“I was a bit apprehensive for the first few days because everything was hard work but I am getting a lot fitter.

“The first day was a bit strange but my dad has been absolutely brilliant with looking after me and we have been having a laugh which is the main thing,” he added.

Dean has had his leg measured for a “trainer limb” device that will enable him to practice walking and build up his strength to use a prosthetic limb.

He will visit hospital to get used to the device and is likely to be allowed to take it home within six months as he gets ready for a prosthetic limb.

Dean, who proposed to his girlfriend Zoë while in hospital, has extra incentive to get walking again as he says once he is up and about the pair can begin to discuss dates for the wedding.

“Me and Zoë have not discussed the date yet as I don't want to have the first dance and be struggling to walk,” he said.

“We will plan it around my recovery.

“Once I get my own leg and feel comfortable on it we will start setting dates,” he added.

Dean's father Glyn has given up work to look after his son at home.

He told The Evening Star it was a relief to have him back home and is pleased with how Dean is coming along.

“We are so glad to have him back with us,” Mr Atwell said.

“His leg is getting stronger all the time,”

“It has been visible since he returned home,” he added.

A huge fundraising campaign is continuing to raise money to pay for a hi-tech prosthetic limb for Dean.

His friends have so far raised around £3,000 towards a grand total of around £35,000 to send him to America to have a new limb fitted.

Do you have a message of support for Dean and his family? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Factfile

Amazingly his life was saved FOUR times during his battle back from the brink.

At the roadside paramedics saved his life and had him airlifted to Ipswich Hospital.

He was transferred to Papworth Hospital where he nearly died undergoing 20 hours of heart surgery including removing a vein from his leg to repair an artery near his heart.

His leg the vein came from then had to be removed after it lost circulation and poisons threatened to infect his bloodstream.

He was then saved again after suffering kidney failure.