Mum’s bid to bring home son who lost part of his skull in a car crash

A mum from Bamber Bridge is raising funds to bring her son home after he suffered severe head injuries in a car crash.

Ryan Womack, 25, lost part of his skull when he lost control of his car as he drove to get fish and chips on 6 October 2018.

The tree surgeon from Bamber Bridge suffered severe brain damage and had to have a craniotomy to reduce the swelling.

Surgeons fitted a titanium plate, manufactured in Italy by Ferrari, but when Ryan contracted an infection the plate was removed and will be refitted later this year.

Ryan has been left with life changing injuries and can no longer walk, talk or feed himself.

Since the collision he has been cared for at Stocks Hall near Mawdesley but his mum Helen says she just wants to bring him home to Bamber Bridge.

She said: “I’d give up work to look after him tomorrow if I could.

“The care home where he’s staying is lovely. The staff there are so caring and it is a small place with only eight people on Ryan’s unit – but it’s not home.

“If he was at home I could take care of him. His little brother Ben would be here and I could take him out places.

“While he is in a care home I can’t do enough for him. Everyone is kind but they can’t be with his 24/7 like I would be.

“The doctors don’t know long term how his brain injury will progress.

“It could stay the same forever, or there are people who make a recovery after a few years. They just don’t know.”

Helen would like to extend their home to create a downstairs bedroom and bathroom, and make the kitchen more accessible if Ryan gains a bit more independence.

She said: “Ryan’s dad is a bricklayer, his uncle’s a plumber. There are people to do the work – we just need to get the money together.”

A GoFundMe page, set up to raise £10,000 has raised almost £4,000 but there is still a long way to go before the work can begin.

Helen said: “Ryan’s friends have been amazing. He worked as a tree surgeon all over Preston and Manchester and is known as being a happy-go-lucky guy.

“They are planning a Fifa night at the Poacher’s soon because he loved his X-box and Playstation.

“There was an Its a Knockout event at the weekend which raised £500.

“We’ve had some brilliant events and contributions but everything helps.”

For more information or to donate, visit Ryan’s GoFundMe page.