A FORMER Malvern Rugby Club player is to take on the gruelling challenge of a ten kilometre run to thank the charity which saved his life after a serious car accident a decade ago.
As a heart-warming gesture Robert Young will tackle the Worcester City 10km on Sunday, September 18 to raise money for Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) after one of its volunteers came to his rescue in 2006.
While driving home to Worcester in the evening of Halloween a large four-wheel-drive vehicle smashed into Mr Young’s Ford KA near Droitwich, leaving him unconscious and with life-threatening injuries.
Dr Malcolm Russell, a member of MARS, was the first on the scene after being called by ambulance staff to help with the accident and found Mr Young with critical injuries including a hole in his chest, a punctured lung, severe head wounds and a broken pelvis.
As the closest immediate doctor to the location of the serious accident, Dr Russell stabilised Mr Young’s breathing as low oxygen to the brain could have caused severe brain damage before a police helicopter flew him to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham for further treatment.
Mr Young was placed in an induced coma for several weeks before making a full recovery.
On his JustGiving page he said: “There is no doubt that without MARS and Dr Malcom Russell’s quick actions I would not be alive today.
“MARS is totally run by volunteers who give up pieces of their time and life to selflessly save the lives of others.
“Everyone needs to know of the wonderful work they do and the least me and my wife Kristine can do is run 10km for them.
“This Halloween marks the ten year anniversary since my accident so as we are doing a 10km run, it makes it a kilometre for every year I’ve been alive thanks to Malcom and MARS.”
Now in its third year, thousands of people are expected to take part in the Worcester City 10km run which starts outside the railway viaduct on Croft Road at 9.30am.
Entries for the event close on Wednesday, September 14. To enter, visit http://worcestercityrun.com/ or to donate to Mr Young’s JustGiving page, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Robert-Young24.
