Hello, I am Alex Halliwell-Dykes, I am 15 and go to Chester Catholic High School. Please read my story below and dig deep it's for a great cause, thank you.

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You may know that I have had a turbulent past year! On Sunday the 18th of September 2011 at around 12 o'clock lunchtime I had an accident on my bike severing a major artery and the main vein in my left thigh. I was rushed to hospital and operated on all that afternoon and evening. I was then anaesthetised for the next 4 days and kept in Intensive Care. During the operation the Surgeons repaired the artery by tying off the main vein in my leg and using it to repair the artery. This operation in short saved my life as I had already lost 150% of my body's blood! During the 4 days when I was unconscious the Doctors noticed that my lower leg was becoming extremely swollen, something which is called Compartment Syndrome. For those who haven't done their Degree in Medicine this is when the compartments in your muscles swell up as they have been starved of oxygen (because i had had no blood going to my leg) meaning my leg could eventually die. Therefore they operated immediately and saved my left leg by performing a double Faciotomy on my lower leg, and my leg after that operation is in the pictures on this page. 

I later had a Skin Graft which covered my two large wounds on my leg. Following tests at Alder Hey Hospital it became apparent that I had nerve damage in my foot meaning moving my ankle upwards was actually impossible for me at the time and the nerve which helped me push my foot downward was working at around 25% of its full capacity.

I then spent just under 2 months at the Countess of Chester in the Children's Ward. They may not have been the best times of my life but I can tell you the Nurses and other members of Staff made it a lot more enjoyable, especially my favourite Nurse, Rob! Although he was an Everton fan...but I suppose I can overlook that!

As I'm writing this it is just under 8 months since my accident and I have made an absolutely rapid recovery! I remember lying in my bed telling my Dad that I would walk down the stairs on Christmas morning without crutches and he looked at me sceptically. But yet I did it! I was told by fully trained Doctors that I probably wouldn't be able to play football again, and yet despite having nerve damage in my foot meaning i cannot move my left ankle very much, I am playing football again for my team Vicars Cross. I put my quick recovery down to not just the miracles of medicine and expertise of the Surgeons but to the help and support I have had since my accident. From Alex the Physiotherapist, to Carolyn the Tissue Viability Nurse to Helen the Nurse on the Ward who'd always come rushing to me when I pressed my buzzer despite being heavily pregnant! Everybody had been so helpful to me in my time in hospital and I vowed when I was in my hospital bed that I would get back on my bike and do something to raise money for the Children's Ward, and this is what I would like to do.

Because I was bed bound for so long and there aren't any computers in the hospital, luckily for me my family bought an iPad. This device, I have to admit, probably got me through my time in hospital and if I hadn't have had one  I don't know what I would have done most of the time! I would like the money that I raise to go towards some kind of entertainment for the patients in the Children's Ward such as an iPad or Xbox; this would be great for the kids, especially the older children, as Hospital is a scary place for some people and this would help to make things a little less daunting and hopefully put a smile on their face.

Im going to be taking part in the Great Manchester Cycle on 4th of June 2012 and Im hoping to achieve the 26 miles in under 2 hours, so please dig deep and donate now, it would mean so so much, Thank you. Alex.