Former miner from Sheffield says surgery to straighten leg has ‘given me my life back’

Graham Parker, who lived with major injuries to his legs after being involved in a serious accident has thanked the limb reconstruction team at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Graham Parker, 60, from Sheffield, underwent treatment at the Northern General Hospital which meant that he was able to stand on two legs that were straight and the same length for the first time since 1998. The accident which left Graham with life-changings injuries happened on the pit lane in Mansfield where he worked as a miner. He was standing behind his car when another vehicle ran into it, shunting it into him and snapping his legs.

A six-inch section of bone in his left leg was dead. The leg was able to be saved, but was left with a bow, making it shorter than the right. Following his most recent surgery in Sheffield, and with the help of the nursing and physio team, Graham has been able to get back to walking and running without daily pain which previously marked his life. He plans to climb Ben Nevis this summer to raise funds for the Northern General and ultimately hopes to climb Kilimanjaro. “The [NHS] gave me my life back, and for that, I will be eternally grateful,” he says.