A CO Tyrone man seriously injured after his motorbike crashed and struck a cast iron fence is fundraising for the Air Ambulance "to do something to give back for all their help".
Daniel Muldoon from Coalisland (36) said he is "so thankful" for the charity ambulance coming to aid after his Yamaha motorcycle hit a slump in the road sending the bike into a fence near Dungannon.
He suffered severe internal injuries including six smashed ribs, punctured lung, punctured diaphragm and lacerations to his liver.
A man out digging his garden witnessed the crash in July last year and called the emergency services, as Mr Muldoon initially tried to get up and walk after the impact.
Within minutes, emergency crews arrived followed by the Air Ambulance NI helicopter.
Despite remaining conscious, Mr Muldoon was in severe pain and due to the severity of his injuries, the HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) team placed him into a medically induced coma at the roadside.
The HEMS team travelled with Mr Muldoon via road ambulance to Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
"I can remember being in an awful lot of pain and discomfort and then the doctor told me he was going to put me to sleep and that’s the last thing I remember before waking up in hospital two or three days later," said Mr Muldoon.
A self-employed owner of a TV aerials and satellite services business, Mr Muldoon spent three weeks in hospital, including two in intensive care with another five months regaining his full mobility and strength.
"My dad Eugene was able to keep my business going part-time as I recovered from home, but cabin fever really started setting in with me and I just wanted to back out working again." he said.
"By December 2019, I was able to go on the road with my dad to jobs. I was able to start lifting televisions onto walls by myself to gradually going into loft spaces to do wiring work and then finally back up ladders and onto roofs of houses to install aerials again."
To thank the Air Ambulance NI team, Mr Muldoon and his father Eugene recently took part in the Derry Tower Abseil, raising more than £1.700.
"I could never thank the Air Ambulance team enough for saving my life and I wanted to do something to give back for all their help," he said.
"I would also like to encourage people to continue supporting Air Ambulance NI, I would never have imagined ever needing the services of the AANI but am so thankful for them that fateful day."
Damien McAnespie, fundraising manager for Air Ambulance NI, said: "It was brilliant to have Daniel and his entire family down to our base and see the remarkable recovery he has made since his accident a year ago.
"I have known Daniel personally for over 25 years but unfortunately, as a lot of people know, serious accidents and life-changing experiences can happen in a split-second and no one knows what tomorrow will bring for any of us.
"We very much appreciate the fundraising efforts of the Muldoon family as our medical team could simply not respond to accidents like Daniel’s without support from the entire public."
