Daniel Dixon, now 22, was just 17 when he was hit by a car while cycling home to Blantyre from his girlfriend’s house in 2020, leaving him with a life-changing brain injury.
The family and friends of a young Lanarkshire man who suffered a life-changing brain injury at just 17 years old have raised more than £21,000 towards his care.
Debbie Dixon revealed that her son Daniel, now 22, was the “class clown” before he was knocked off his bike at 60 miles an hour while cycling home to Blantyre from his girlfriend’s house in 2020. The mum-of-three said: “We got a knock on our door at 3am. Daniel was a typical 17-year-old boy at the time – he was the class clown – so when the police appeared, I thought ‘what’s he done?’.”
Debbie and Thomas – Daniel’s dad – were left stunned to learn their son had been admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s head injury unit, after being struck head-on by a car while cycling home.
The mum went on to say: “It didn’t register how serious it was until I got to the hospital.
“It was a full head-on collision. He had no other broken bones in his body, it was a full-on head impact,” reports Glasgow Live.
Debbie recalled how doctors kept Daniel’s face hidden beneath a sheet due to the severity of his head injury, and she was asked to identify him by his tattoos.
She continued: “As his mum, I wanted to see him, and they did then show me. It wasn’t as bad as you would think considering he’d been hit on the hit with a car driving 60 miles an hour – they’d shaved his hair which was the most traumatic part!”
Debbie described the period following Daniel’s admission as “touch and go”, with doctors warning the family he might not survive the night. Yet Daniel battled through numerous operations, and even had “about three quarters” of his skull removed to reduce the swelling on his brain.
Throughout this ordeal, Debbie revealed that her son’s skull was stored in his stomach to preserve the bone, giving him the appearance of a “baby bump”. Daniel also survived a meningitis diagnosis, but owing to the severity of his head injury, he is now entirely reliant on carers and unable to communicate beyond the occasional fist bump, laugh or smile, according to his mum.
Debbie, who has two younger teenage children, Christopher, 19, and Amy, 14, said: “We get little signs – we now get fist bumps on command which we never thought would happen, which is amazing, and lots of little smiles and laughter, which is all down to his care team.”
Shortly after the accident, Daniel was transferred to Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, where he was “spoilt rotten” for roughly two and a half years.
However, as he was classified as “medically unrehabilitatable”, Daniel’s family were unable to bring him home as their property could not be adapted to meet his needs.
Following lengthy discussions to find him suitable accommodation — which at one point included the prospect of Daniel moving into a care home for the elderly, something Debbie declared would be “over her dead body” — the family eventually secured him a suitable flat in Hamilton, where he has been receiving round-the-clock care for nearly two years.
Because his condition has been deemed “unrehabilitatable” by medical professionals, Debbie reveals that her family contribute towards his care from their own pockets – most notably his specialist physiotherapy, which costs £90 per session.
This is the driving force behind the family’s fundraising efforts for Daniel, with their most recent event raising a remarkable £21,000.
Organised by close family friends Andy and Leanne Rankin at prize competition firm Balls of Thunder, the family hosted a spectacular ball for Daniel at the Hilton hotel in Glasgow at the end of March.
Close to 400 loved ones, friends and supporters dressed up and came together to enjoy a meal, drinks and dancing, all in aid of Daniel – who also had a wonderful time at the event.
Debbie said: “I had a few tears in my eyes that night looking at all these people that were there to support my son. Daniel was there with his kilt on, and he lasted until 10.30pm that night, so he partied his wee socks off!”
She added: “Fundraisers like Leanne’s mean the absolute world to us. Every March, we do a fundraiser for Brain Injury Awareness Month. This is the biggest one we’ve ever done.”
Money raised through Daniel’s fundraiser will go towards his physiotherapy and specialist equipment, including a new shower chair.
His family are also hoping to treat Daniel to a trip to Amsterdam, though his mum explains that accessible holidays can prove extremely costly due to the challenges of flying with his wheelchair. Debbie said: “This money is just going to make all of that possible. So it’s very exciting.”
The mother is also a passionate campaigner for cycling safety in Lanarkshire and further afield, adding: “Raising awareness is my biggest thing. Daniel was wearing black clothes on a dark bike, with no helmet.
“Kids, please put a helmet on.”
