The family and friends of a man who almost died when he fell down the stairs at home will be dressing up as doctors and nurses for a fundraising pub crawl.
David Ivory, of Gadebridge Road, Hemel Hempstead, suffered a blood clot in his brain when he fell in the early hours of the morning on September 15 last year.
The trauma meant part of his skull had to be removed by surgeons to relieve the pressure on his brain and he also suffered several broken bones.
But thanks to emergency doctors at London’s Charing Cross and St Mary’s hospitals, David is back at home and on the road to recovery.
The 65-year-old spent many weeks unconscious and a total of five months in hospital where he also had to battle pneumonia, chest infections and overcome a stroke.
Today, wife Debra is his full time carer. She said: “He is doing really well now. He is walking now. He is an amazing man.
“When you see something like that you want to give back.”
On Friday evening the fundraisers will be visiting as many pubs in Hemel Hempstead as possible, starting off at The Top Of The World in Gadebridge. They will be collecting money for the hospitals along their route.
The event is being organised by Debra’s sister Sandy White, who said: “David was very seriously ill. I didn’t think he would pull through.
“They did so much for him and I said: ‘Right, I’m going to raise some money because they have literally saved his life’.”
They are raising cash for the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which covers St Mary’s, Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte’s and Western Eye hospitals.
You can donate to the trust at www.justgiving.com/imperialhealthcarecharity or by sending a cheque or charity cheque to Imperial College Health Care Charity, Charity Offices, Ground Floor, Clarence Memorial Wing, St Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street, London, W21NY.