South Shields biker run over in car crash helps others suffering major trauma at James Cook Hospital

• Video report by Helen Ford

A South Shields motorcyclist who was severely injured in a road accident is supporting others in the region suffering from major trauma through a new charity based at the James Cook hospital.

It comes just a year after he was knocked off his bike and run over by a car.

Mark McCourt was cycling on a country road near Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, in April 2021 when he was flipped over his handlebars by a car at a junction, which resulted in him bouncing off the bonnet and across the road, where he was run over.

Mark's pelvis was shattered and his leg, knee, ribs and vertebrae were broken in the incident. He also suffered damage to his internal organs.

Now, Mark has joined forces with the James Cook Hospital to launch specialist trauma support at the site through the Day One Trauma Support charity.

It is the first time a North East NHS Trust has partnered with the charity, which is the only organisation in the country to support patients of major trauma.

The partnership means someone from the charity will work alongside staff at the James Cook - supporting others in the region who have suffered serious traumas with practical, emotional and financial support.

Speaking for the first time, the former marine engineer said: "I was riding along and could see a white car at a junction ahead of me. I had right of way, but could suddenly see it started moving out.

"All I was thinking was please don’t hit me. I had about 15 metres to react. The front of the car hit the bike, I hit the bonnet and continued moving down the road.

"I felt the hard hit on my left side and was awake, when the front and rear left wheels of the car rolled over my pelvis. I don’t think the driver realised they had run over me and thought I was where my bike was. I was shouting in pain and tried to get up but couldn’t move.”

Mark was airlifted to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, for specialist trauma treatment. Over the last year he has spent a month in hospital, and undergone seven operations.

He was paralysed temporarily by the incident, and continues to receive physio for his pelvic area as well as ongoing treatment for a damaged bladder and urethra in London.

Once out of hospital, Mark's road to recovery involved learning to walk again, but with a limp due to weakness in his left leg, and changes to his living arrangements. This included living and sleeping in his lounge, using a commode to go to the toilet, and showering in a pop-up tent in the garden.

Mark added: “I am so lucky that I had the support around me. My fiancée was amazing as I couldn’t get out of bed on my own.

"She had to help me go to the toilet and wash. If I had been single, I would have had to live with my parents and get my mum to do this, which you don’t expect when you’re in your thirties.

"When things are taken away from you, you appreciate the little things like a shower and cleaning your own teeth."

He continued: “It’s been a long journey and I’m still not at the end of it yet. The infections and setbacks get you down.

"When people look at me now, compared to a year ago, they’re amazed at the progress I have made. But although the scars and bruising have gone and I’m back walking, my life still isn’t the same.“

Despite Mark's operations, mentally he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), having remained awake during the crash, meaning he has flashbacks to to the incident.

Launching on Tuesday, 3 May, the new service means people like Mark, suffering from life changing injuries, can be helped with emergency funding for accommodation, legal or welfare support.

There will also be peer support volunteers, where trauma patients can speak to someone who have experiences similar to themselves. The first Day One peer support volunteer is Mark.

He said: “Although what happened to me was horrendous, I was lucky to have the support of my family around me to get me through it.

"I had excellent care from the hospital staff, but when a major physical trauma happens to you, there are so many questions that go through your head and you don’t know where to turn. It’s fantastic that Day One is there to help people like me, and my family, navigate the system, and I can’t wait to give back and use my experience to help others across the northeast.”

Figures from the Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) shows 229 people were admitted to James Cook with major trauma following a road traffic collision (RTC), but this fell last year, likely due to travel restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the last three years the hospital has treated nearly three thousand major trauma patients from across the north east, which has resulted in on the facility treating an average of three cases each day.

Lucy Nickson, CEO of Day One Trauma Support, said: “We’re thrilled to launch this partnership so we can help people like Mark get the support they so truly deserve.

"NHS clinical care is exceptional and has improved thanks to the work of Major Trauma Centres such as the one at James Cook...but enormous pressures on the NHS and inequities in the system mean recovery and rehabilitation support is inconsistent.

"That’s why Day One is becoming the ‘go to’ support for anyone affected by major trauma, as we can provide the vital practical and emotional support people need so they can rebuild their lives and look forward to the future.”

Ben Murphy, head of charity at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to partner with Day One to further support the excellent care our major trauma patients receive.

"We know the trauma team works incredibly hard to provide the best possible care to people when they need it most, and this added layer of support from Day One will only enhance their experience – going beyond what the NHS can provide.”