A MAN from the district who survived a horrendous car crash will continue his amazing recovery by taking on a gruelling half marathon this May.

Gilstead man Robert Duckworth, aged 25, had passed his driving test only two weeks before the crash on Saltaire Road when his Citroen Saxo was hit by a Range Rover,

The 17-year-old suffered severe head injuries and had to learn to walk and talk again after the near fatal incident in 2007.

“I don’t remember much about the crash or what followed, but I know I’m lucky to be alive," Mr Duckworth said.

“I lost six pints of blood at the scene and the paramedics must have performed a miracle to bring me back to life.

“From there, I was rushed straight to the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Leeds General Infirmary and placed into an induced coma.

“It really was touch and go whether I’d pull through or not.”

Mr Duckworth spent four weeks in a coma and was kept alive by a tube to help him breathe and a gastric feeding tube. He also needed several blood transfusions and came close to requiring brain surgery.

He said: “The pressure in my head had become so great that doctors felt they had no option but to operate.

“On the day it was due, I suffered a nose bleed which forced doctors to cancel the procedure.

“Looking back I think that worked in my favour because any kind of neuro surgery is risky and there’s no way of knowing if or how I would have recovered.

“It wasn’t long after that day that I started to show some signs of improvement and after four weeks in intensive care, I woke up.”

Weighing just six stone, Mr Duckworth was then transferred to the hospital’s high dependency unit to continue his recovery.

“The team at the Neuro Intensive Care Unit saved my life and then they helped me come to terms with what had happened,” said Mr Duckworth

"Eventually I was allowed to go home and with the help of my family, I slowly but surely started to get my life back.

“I eventually returned to college in 2009 to finish my studies and in 2010 I moved to Falmouth to take on a degree in 3D Design.

“Living without my family was especially hard as I’d become so dependent on them, but it helped me learn to be independent and I’ve just kept building on my progress since then, moving to Chester last year.”

Mr Duckworth, who now lives in Chester, will be one of thousands of runners taking on the Chester Half Marathon on Sunday, May 17 and plans to raise money for the department that helped him with his rehabilitation.

He said: “Since my injury I have completed a John O'Groats to Lands End bike ride and a 10k race to raise money for the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Leeds General Infirmary.

“But the Chester Half Marathon will be one of the toughest things I’ve done since my injury because a half marathon requires mental and physical strength – both of which I’ve had to work really hard to get back.

“My training is going well so far but I do get tired easily and that’s a symptom of the crash that will stay with me forever.

“It has really given me a different perspective on life and now I want to embrace every moment.

To help Robert hit his fundraising target of £3,000, visit

www.justgiving.com/robduckworth

For more details about the Chester Half Marathon or to enter, visit www.chesterhalfmarathon.co.uk