A MAN who was saved by air ambulance crews after a quad biking accident, has made a very special donation to the service.
Sohail Khan, Managing Director at Opus Motor Group, was on a stag party with his friends in April 2017 when he took part in off road buggy racing in Penrith.
Recalling the incident, he said: “The course was quite hilly with jumps on it. I was probably driving a bit too fast and went up one jump and then landed on the apex of the next jump. The frame of the all-terrain vehicle hit the floor.”
“I was in absolute agony and I knew something was wrong given I have a background in physiotherapy. Despite knowing better I asked my friends to help me out the vehicle.”
“I could only describe it as knife like pain in my back and there was numbness in my legs.”
Mr Khan had crushed his t12 vertebrae and was experiencing severe spasms in his back.
A rapid response vehicle from the North West Ambulance Service arrived on scene, and a paramedic administered morphine.
The critical care team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) landed in their aircraft shortly afterwards.
After assessing Mr Khan’s injuries, he was airlifted to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle where he stayed for a week before being discharged.
Over the years Mr Khan’s father, the late Nas Khan OBE who was the former managing director of Jennings Motor Group before it changed to Opus Motor Group, was widely recognised for his charitable efforts.
He helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for GNAAS and his son has followed in his footsteps by continuing to support the charity and recently donated a Harley-Davidson motorcycle which will be the top prize in a raffle.
Mr Khan said: “I think GNAAS do an absolutely fantastic job. We operate two Harley-Davidson branches and almost everyone we know, knows someone who has been touched by GNAAS, whether that is friends or family.
"They are like a guardian angel watching over our community. I want to continue the support my father gave and do it in my own way so that’s why I donated this bike.”
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