'Head sever' boy is back racing

A Hampshire boy who survived a racing crash which almost severed his head from his neck is back behind the wheel.

Chris Stewart was 12 when his head was left attached to his body by only skin and muscle after the accident. He had metal pins put into his body.

It took nine months for Chris, now 14 and from Fareham, to learn to speak, eat and walk again and doctors have now said he can get back behind the wheel.

He is thought to be one of just six people to survive a "hangman's injury".

His mother Debbie said she would only allow him to race a go-kart.

Chris has been three times this year to a track near his home.

He received the so-called "hangman's injury" after his skull and neck were separated when he hit a barrier in a junior race in September 2006.

'Unheard-of recovery'

Doctors reattached his skull to his spine using titanium plates and screws.

Others to have survived the injury have been left paralysed.

His mother Debbie, 43, said: "The recovery could not be described as anything short of miraculous.

"It's an unheard-of recovery, a complete medical phenomenon to the extent he has gone full circle now and is driving again.

"It's just nothing we could have contemplated in September 2006."

His mother has banned car racing and only allows him to drive a go-kart.

"He is two years from getting behind a car and starting to drive himself," she said.

"I can't be with him all the time but for now I don't want him grass track racing.

"I still find it very difficult to comprehend at times and I find it emotional to be around him knowing we are lucky to still have him."

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Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/engl...ire/8181737.stm

a very brave little soldier it just shows some doctors do care for you.thank you simon bringing this to the forum its what we need great news like that not all doom and gloom

alex

Although it wasn’t as high of a break I suffered the same loss of connection of my head to my body. My c-5 was completely crushed leaving only soft tissue holding my head to my body. My only complaint is that EMS pulled off my helmet and possibly caused more damage. I say possibly for we will never know "that’s another story".

But I am glad to hear this young man has beaten the odds and can race once more. This shows how amazing the human body is and how far medicine has come. For without such precise surgery and care he would not have made it, as many of us owe much to the skilled surgeons and new advances in medicine.

What the hell was he driving to even make that possible? If he were in Canada he'd be dead.

He was racing a Mini on a grass track.
There's more of his story here... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6217036.stm