Patient raises money to thank team who saved his life
A former Royal Derby Hospital patient who faced the prospect of never being able to walk again is set to run a half marathon to thank those that helped him get back on his feet again.
Dean Salt initially thought he had a cold when he was rushed to hospital in February 2016 but was instead faced with the devastating news that he had Guillain-Barre syndrome and could soon lose the ability to walk.
He spent a total of three months recovering at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with his darkest moment seeing him question whether he’d make it, as the debilitating condition left him unable to speak or move from the neck down.
Amazingly Dean, 29, managed to overcome the odds thanks to the fantastic care provided by staff in the unit. After an additional six weeks of intensive rehab at London Road Community Hospital, Dean was able to get back on his feet and make a full recovery.
He said:
I was at work and I just started losing the feeling in my toes, with the paralysis creeping up my body. It was scary. I couldn’t swallow anything, my breathing was just getting worse and I woke up a few days later with a pipe in my neck after having a tracheotomy.
At one stage I thought I was going to die, but luckily all of the fantastic staff were there to save me and tell me not to give up and put everything I had into getting better.
I really cannot thank the wonderful staff at the Royal Derby Hospital enough for what they have done for me and my family.
Now that he’s back to full health, Dean has decided to fulfil a promise he made from his hospital bed and thank those that helped save his life, and will be running the Manchester Half Marathon to raise money for Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity.
He said:
When I was in hospital, my friends came to visit me every day and I always said that, if I ever got out of this, I’d do something to say thank you to the NHS. I thought, what better way to celebrate being healthy again than by challenging myself to run a half marathon. I received the best care you could wish for and it is thanks to all their hard work that I am here to take on this challenge. I’m raising money to thank all the staff for everything they’ve done for me and my family.
They saved my life and you just don’t realise how important these people are until you need them.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an extremely rare autoimmune disorder that damages the peripheral nervous system. It causes patients to rapidly lose muscle strength, while in some serious cases it can lead to paralysis or even death.
Dean will be joined on his 13.1 mile run by family and friends.
Dean’s father, Paul Salt, supported him during his time in hospital. He said:
I can’t praise the staff enough, they played a key part in making sure Dean came home and supported us all during his time in hospital. They got him through it, they saved his life and supported him back to full health. We will forever be grateful.