Chris Leese, 48, from Endon in Staffordshire, came close to never making it home after a devastating motorcycle collision in 2020.
A keen motorcyclist, devoted dad and someone who thrived on being active, Chris had spent years enjoying the freedom of the open road. But on 11th October 2020, while riding through the Staffordshire Moorlands after leaving Buxton, everything changed in an instant.
He was involved in a life-changing accident near Hulme that left him with catastrophic injuries: a traumatic brain injury, collapsed lungs, multiple fractures, and severe nerve damage that would ultimately cost him his right arm.
Chris remembers nothing of the crash.
Chris says: “The last thing I remember is leaving Buxton on my motorbike. After that, there’s nothing. I had no idea how close I came to dying.”
As Chris lay critically injured at the roadside, specialist critical care paramedics Sarah Folley and Steve Mitchell from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity were dispatched and soon arrived on scene. They were joined by colleagues from The Air Ambulance Service and the teams worked together to quickly and decisively deliver the advanced lifesaving care that is normally only available in hospital.
Chris needed a pre-hospital emergency anaesthetic to protect his brain and give him the best possible chance of survival. Once stabilised, he was airlifted to Royal Stoke University Hospital where his long fight to survive truly began.
Chris spent three weeks in a coma while his family waited anxiously. When he finally regained consciousness, the reality of what he had been through, became clear. He had suffered devastating injuries throughout his body. Surgeons had worked to repair his shattered bones but the damage to the nerves in his right arm was irreversible.
Chris added: “Before the accident, I was always active. I loved the gym, cycling, and taking my son mountain biking. Overnight, everything changed. I had to learn to live a completely different life.”
His recovery was made even more challenging by the isolation of the COVID‑19 pandemic, which kept him separated from his loved ones.
“I didn’t see my wife or children until Christmas Day. That was one of the hardest parts of everything You need your family around you in moments like that,” Chris added.
Left with permanent paralysis in his right, Chris made the incredibly difficult decision to have his arm amputated in 2025.
Chris said: “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make but I knew I needed to move forward and focus on what I still have, rather than what I’ve lost.”
Chris continues to live with the lasting effects of a traumatic brain injury, affecting memory and concentration Yet his determination never faded. Today, he has returned to work three days a week carrying out site surveys – a milestone that once felt impossible.
He said: “There was a time when I didn’t know if I’d survive, let alone work again. I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
“Midlands Air Ambulance Charity saved my life. There’s no doubt in my mind. If they hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t be here today. I didn’t even realise they were a charity at the time. What they do is incredible – they give people like me a second chance.”
Chris and his family have never forgotten that second chance. His son organised a sponsored “one-arm day” at school, raising money for the charity. The family later visited the charity’s Tatenhill airbase where they met the crew and saw first-hand the aircraft and equipment that helped save his life.
For Chris, that moment meant everything. He adds: “Meeting the people who saved me was emotional. I owe them my life. Because of them, I’m still here with my family. That means everything.”
Chris’s story is one of survival, resilience, and the impact of lifesaving care delivered when every second matters.
