A SUFFOLK man who lost a leg and almost died in a road accident has today told of his desire to walk again in 2007.Doctors feared Dean Atwell, 31, would not survive after his motorbike collided with a van in Bacton last June.

A SUFFOLK man who lost a leg and almost died in a road accident has today told of his desire to walk again in 2007.

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

However he defied the odds and his life was saved four times as doctors brought him back from the brink.

Mr Atwell spent around a month in intensive care and his recovery continues at his parent's home in Barningham after he was discharged from West Suffolk Hospital in September.

Seven months on from the accident Dean told The Evening Star he experienced mixed emotions over the festive period but he is being positive about 2007.

He said: “It was quite a quiet Christmas but I had a few beers and plenty of turkey and it has been a nice time.

“New Year's Eve was a bit weird though.

“I went round to a friend's house for a party and normally when you say Happy New Year you think you will be waking up in the morning and starting afresh.

“I haven't got that option. Last year was not a good year for me.

“It would be putting it politely to say I'm glad to see the back of 2006.”

Mr Atwell said he has not set any specific goals or targets for this year but is keen to get walking again as soon as possible.

He said: “This year I just want to keep on getting better. That is about all I can do.

“I want to get better and back up on my feet and get a bit of self confidence and some pride back.

“I should be getting an artificial leg quite soon so it will be a big step forward when I get that.”

Initially he will be issued with a standard NHS prosthetic limb, although a fundraising campaign is under way in a bid to raise money to pay for a state-of-the-art limb.

Amazingly Dean's 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.