BRAVE Jerry Ward will leave his hospital bed for the first time in six months to complete the Great Manchester Run.

The former RAF fighter pilot, was paralysed last November when he was knocked over by a freak wave on a beach in Cancun, Mexico.

Jerry, 48, was unable to move his arms and legs and was told by doctors treating him at Salford's Hope Hospital he may be on a ventilator for the rest of his life.

But the determined father-of-two has battled to prove them wrong and is now breathing by himself. He plans to take the next step in his recovery by leaving his hospital bed for the first time to be pushed around the course of the Great Manchester Run on Sunday in his wheelchair.

Jerry, who worked as a commercial pilot at Manchester Airport, was relaxing in the sea at Cancun while preparing to fly a Thomas Cook plane back to the UK when disaster struck.

He said: "As I stood up in the shallow water, a wave crashed into me from behind and knocked me face down in the water. I knew I'd broken my neck because I couldn't move my arms or legs."

Shattered

Jerry's fourth vertebrae had shattered, severely damaging his spinal cord.

He was flown back to England and treated by specialists at Hope Hospital in Salford who said he was unlikely to make a full recovery and may be on a ventilator for life.

Jerry said: "I've always been a very stubborn and determined individual and when you're told there's no chance of recovery, you just have to fight and prove them wrong. So for me, getting off that ventilator and breathing by myself was vital."

Since then Jerry has made good progress at a spinal injuries unit in Southport and is now able to move his shoulders and part of his left arm.

He said: "When the physiotherapist tells me to do ten repetitions of my exercises, I do twenty five. It does make my upper body sore but I'm determined to get back as much movement as I possibly can because I know it'll improve the quality of my life when I get back home."

Before the accident, Jerry was a self-confessed "adrenaline junkie". He loved extreme sports, such as motorbike racing and skiing.

And last year Jerry ran the Great Manchester Run with his wife Jane. They raised nearly two thousand pounds for Diabetes UK, as their teenage son Sam is Diabetic.

Wheelchair bound

Despite now being wheelchair bound, Jerry, of Northwich, Cheshire, is also entering this year's race by being pushed around the course. He said: "There are twelve of us in the team and three or four will be doing the pushing, including my children and a couple of friends and neighbours. The rest are all out running to be competitive."

The team is raising money for the spinal injuries association, Diabetes UK and the Jerry Ward trust fund, which provides for the equipment and ongoing care Jerry needs.

However, race day will be his first time out of hospital and although there will be a medic on standby, Jerry's consultant at Southport Hospital, Bakulesh Soni has concerns.
He said: "The main risks are exposure to the cold which could induce a chest infection and low heart rate, and because of Jerry's low lung capacity - that could be serious. Also if his catheter gets blocked, his blood pressure will rise, which could cause pounding headaches."

Jerry is not put off by the risks though. 5 months ago he was unable to eat, breathe or sit up by himself. Back then entering the race seemed an impossible dream. Now it is set to become reality. Bursting into tears he said: "to finish the course, with my family there at the end will be great, absolutely fantastic. I can't wait."