NHS worker blinded and brain damaged in random attack to cycle 75 miles thanks to ITV interview
ITV News Meridian's Sally Simmonds reports on Trevor MacGuire's incredible recovery
An NHS worker who was left blind and brain damaged after a random attack at a busy hospital has learned to ride a tandem bike after being inspired by an interview he saw on ITV News.
Trevor MacGuire was struck on the head three times with a pick axe by one of his colleagues while working as a project manager at Central Middlesex Hospital in London hospital last June.
Whilst recovering at home in Waterlooville, Hampshire from some of the life threatening injuries he sustained in the random attack he listened to an interview with an endurance cyclist, an NHS doctor who was cycling in a 1,200km fundraising effort in France.
Despite feeling very low, the television segment made him determined to get on a bike.
After tracking him Dr Nick Tarmey, a consultant anaesthetist at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in hospital, Trevor and his new found friend plan to take on a 75 mile bike ride for charity.
Ahead of the challenge, Trevor told us he feels lucky to still be alive, "I was hit three times in the head with a pick axe, I shouldn't really be here"
"One narrowly missed my spine and two in the side of my head and there's so many broken bones.
"There's only one life sentence I guess and that's mine, but I'm at the end of my life, and there's a young man in prison sentenced to 30 years and in my head I think that's incredibly sad".
"Lo and behold on Meridian, Nick was kind enough to give an interview about Paris–Brest–Paris and I was just amazed at the endurance of the man."
Nick was contacted through secretaries at work who said they'd been contacted by a Trevor who wanted to team up.
After discussing the prospect of a static bike challenge, Nick suggested a tandem bike instead with both spending weeks training for their 75-mile adventure.
Nick has praised the courage of Trevor as they prepare to set off. He said, "The stuff I've been doing, it literally is just riding my bike except a bit further or a bit harder or something.
"For Trevor, it's just another level because he's having to learn to do something which his brain doesn't even want to do, and he's putting his trust in someone he doesn't know."
The pair's ride will end at the QA hospital with money going towards Portsmouth Hospitals charity, Open Sight and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulance.
44-year old Matteo Bottarelli, was sentenced in May after being found guilty of attacking Trevor and another person.
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