The family and friends of a teen biker temporarily paralysed after a serious motorbike crash have launched a fundraiser to buy him an electric wheelchair.
Brandon Williams was taken to hospital last Sunday after he was involved in a collision with a car on Camperdown Road.
The crash has left Brandon with a shattered pelvis, a spinal fracture, a broken arm and ribs.
The injuries have rendered the 19-year-old temporarily paralysed, with doctors telling the family that he will need to learn to walk from scratch.
The learning process could take as long as a year, the majority of which Brandon will have to spend confined to a wheelchair.
Lennon Campbell, a friend of Brandon’s who was with him when the car crashed, said: “I was about 100 yards or so behind him when we crashed.
“I got frightened because I didn’t know what was going to happen but then I saw my pal go flying in the air.
“After that a lot of people came out of their houses, someone called an ambulance.
“I sat next to him and waited for it, he kept slipping in and out of consciousness and I thought he was going to die.
“It was really traumatic.”
The 17-year-old said an electric wheelchair would be “amazing” for his friend.
He added: “If we could raise as much as we need for a chair that would be amazing.
“He’s going to have to learn to walk again, so having that chair would be great.”
Brandon’s sister Lisa has also asked for people to support the fundraiser.
She said: “He’ll be in hospital for at least three months.
“He’s okay, obviously he’s in a lot of pain and it’s had a really big emotional impact on him.
“He’s only 19 and he likes to go out with his pals, so not being able to do that really has him down.
“It’s really hard to watch him like this and see what he’s going through.
“He’s scared that he won’t ever be able to get out with his friends again, he doesn’t want to be a burden and get pushed around in a chair for the rest of his life.
Lisa says the support her brother and the family has had so far has been “overwhelming”.
“I remember seeing him speaking to his friend on a call, and when he mentioned that he might be able to get an electric wheelchair his spirits were lifted for a second,” she added.
“He just wants a bit of his independence back, he doesn’t want to need someone to push him around all day while he does physio work to learn how to walk.
“It would mean the world to us if people could give some money and help in any way that they can.”
A 19-year-old has been charged in connection with road traffic offences.
To contribute to the fundraiser, search for “Help Brandon get around until he can walk again” on www.gofundme.com
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