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​Dad Paralysed After Copying Kids Doing Roly Polies

​Dad Paralysed After Copying Kids Doing Roly Polies

Duckworth landed awkwardly and, unable to feel anything from the chest down, realised immediately what he’d done

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A dad was left paralysed from the chest down after copying kids doing roly polies at a family barbeque, having known something was wrong 'straight away' when he landed awkwardly.

Wayne Duckworth, 38, had been performing the stunt on the lawn at a mate's home back in June, where he was joining in with friends' kids.

However, when he attempted one in the living room later that evening, the simple move went horribly wrong.

Kennedy News and Media

Duckworth, a chef, was told he'd broken his neck and completely severed his spinal cord and had an operation to stabilise the break of his sixth vertebrae, his fractured fifth vertebrae and to relieve pressure from his spinal cord.

The dad-of-two, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: "I broke my neck in a freak accident - all because of a roly poly.

"I was messing about in the garden that afternoon with the kids.

"I'd been on the trampoline with them and doing roly polies on the lawn and that was fine.

"Later when the kids had gone home we were messing about in the house having a few drinks playing cards and darts.

Kennedy News and Media

"We were talking about how we had been doing roly polies earlier in the day and then, being the clown that I am, I did one in the living room onto the carpet.

"I did it from standing on the concrete fireplace surround that was about three or four inches high.

"I went to pick myself up and realised my arms weren't working properly and I couldn't move my body at all.

"I couldn't feel anything lower than my neck and I realised straight away what I'd done and immediately feared I'd be paralysed. It didn't hurt, I couldn't feel anything."

Kennedy News and Media

Duckworth spent three weeks in Salford Royal's Royal ICU before being transferred to the North West Regional Spinal Injuries Centre in Southport, Merseyside, for rehabilitation.

He continued: "I can move my arms but my fingers and thumbs don't work, there's no signal there.

"My shoulders work but they're very weak and I can move my arms up and down.

"I've got little use of my arms from my chest/nipple area down, I don't have any feeling or use, there's just no signal there anymore."

Duckworth said the council is looking for a suitable property for him to move into, but is looking to move into a care home in the meantime.

Kennedy News and Media

His sister Jenny Duckworth has set up a GoFundMe page to help source a high-spec electric wheelchair and other vital equipment.

He said: "Electric wheelchairs can go up to £20,00 but a basic one is about £4,000, the one I'm in now costs about £6,000.

"It would be great to have a light-weight manual wheelchair when I get out too that I can use when visiting friends and family as you can't get the big motorised ones in many places.

Kennedy News and Media

Determined to have a rich and fulfulling life in spite of what happened to him, Duckworth added: "I'll find new stuff to do and maybe find a new career, nothing's stopping me. I'm going to keep going and doing new things."

You can donate to Jenny's page for Wayne here.

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media

Topics: UK News, News