By Filipa Gaspar via SWNS
A man described by paramedics as the “most broken patient” ever after a crash that killed his partner recovered – and has now climbed Everest.
Simon Clark, 44, was involved in a horror smash in October 2019 when him and his partner Lindy were in a head-on collision – where she died instantly.
The former estate agent broke his spine and neck leaving his head connected to his body by only muscle and skin.
Doctors did not think he would live but if he did, he would never walk, talk, eat, or breathe by himself.
But five years on from the life-changing crash Simon has conquered the highest mountain on Earth.
Simon has completed the 40-mile (64km) hike to Everest base camp – which is 5,430 meters above sea level.
Following the smash Simon of Cirencester in Gloucestershire was taken to Southmead hospital by the Great Western Air Ambulance.
He said: “They didn’t think I was going to survive the night but I was put into an induced coma because of the severity of my injuries.
“I woke up just over two and a half months later to be told what had happened and also that I was paralyzed from the neck down and I’d probably never recover, never walk again or live independently ever again.
“The paramedics who treated me at the scene still to this day describe me as the most broken patient they have ever seen – I had catastrophic injuries all over my body.
“I have no idea how I have been able to recover as well as I have – I credited it all to the amazing people at the air ambulance.”
Simon had to learn how to walk again and he slowly started taking on hikes and treks to build up and get ready for the Everest challenge with the aim to raise funds to the air ambulance who rescued him.
He described it as a ‘trip of a lifetime’, despite being ‘horrifically painful.’
He said: “I set myself the goal to do that within 5 years of my accident and to be honest it was a probably a bit too soon.
”I haven’t recovered as well as I should have to take on something quite that difficult but that was the goal I set and I was doing it to try and raise awareness and money to the air ambulance so I had to get on with it.
“I am still struggling to process it and understand quite what I have achieved. When I actually got there I did actually break down and started crying because it is such an emotional journey and goal for me to go from never walking to walking to Everest it is just so unbelievable I can’t quite understand it.
“From a physical point of view, by the end of it I was struggling to lift my feet off of the ground – I was literally dragging my feet through the whole way.
“It was absolutely agony and it still hurts to breath now because of how hard I was having to work with the altitudes and just getting enough oxygen.”
So far he has raised $2,000 but his ultimate goal is to raise $4.5 million for the air ambulance.
He said: “My next big challenge is going to be trying to walk to the North Pole and then building up from there.
“My challenges are just going to get bigger and bigger and more adventurous to try and inspire people and show what it is possible.
“I have so many experts and loved ones telling me that I would never walk again, that I would never breath again or anything like that.
“It would have been really easy to just give up but I was able to find the strength to keep going so I just want to inspire anybody who is struggling in any way to not give up.”
Simon is preparing to release a book about his journey to recovery.
