South Shields dad who suffered life-changing injuries to take on the Great North Run with his carers

Stephen Foley, from South Shields, suffered life-changing injuries following a motorbike crash in September 2018.

The dad-of-three was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) following the crash, where he was fighting for his life.

His condition was so bad that his family were faced with a decision to turn of his life support but decided against it.

Now almost six years on from the crash, Stephen is continuing with his recovery and is set to take part in the 2024 Great North Run with those who look after him.

Carers Louise, Chantelle, Abby and Marius, who have looked after Stephen for the last three years, will be pushing Stephen in his wheelchair along the iconic half-marathon.

Stephen’s mam, Joyce Foley, has told the Shields Gazette about how she felt when her son first had his accident and where the idea to do the Great North Run came from.

Joyce said: “It was like a rollercoaster when Stephen first had his accident, especially because he died three times following it.

“We had a decision to switch off his life support but Stephen has always been a fighter and we knew that he would pull through this.

“Stephen actually ran the Great North Run in 2016 and because I live very close to the finish line, we were just talking about it with his carers, who said they would love to do it.

“I suggested that they could do it with Stephen as long as the money raised went to a charity that supports brain injuries and they were all over the moon at the idea.

“Stephen has complex needs so we are still working out how it will work on the day but they have been getting him out and about for walks.

“He loves it when they take him out and he has always been a fan of the outdoors so we are all really excited for the day now.”

The money raised will be going to Headway, a charity that helps to improve the lives of those who have suffered a brain injury.

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The group have set themselves a target of £1,500 - with £631 raised at the time of writing.

In an effort to give the fundraising an extra boost, Stephen’s sister, Nicola, has managed to run a “bonus ball” competition, which has raised an extra £520.

Joyce added: “It was very important for us to raise money for a charity that helps people with brain injuries because I feel like there isn’t a lot of support out there.

“I don’t know if it has been down to things like Covid but it feels like Stephen hasn’t had the right kind of support since his accident.

“I’m very proud of the carers and the fundraising that has been done so far, they are like our family now.”

You can view and donate to the fundraiser by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/page/stephens-story2024.