A double stroke survivor once told he would never walk again is planning to climb Mount Snowdon to raise funds for the Midland charities that helped him recover.
David Gregg, aged 59, an electronics specialist from Kenilworth, spent three months in a coma after his strokes in 2019, with no movement in his legs and barely any in his arms when he woke up.
But after hospital surgery and specialist rehabilitation at Castel Froma Neuro Care in Leamington Spa, he learned to walk again, volunteering for a Mind mental health charity shop as part of his recovery.
Now father-of-two David is determined to walk all the way up Mount Snowdon next month to raise funds for Castel Froma and Mind.
David said: “My life changed forever in December 2019 when I suffered a double stroke.
“After three months in a coma I eventually woke up at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire in Coventry, catching Covid twice during the pandemic.
“I was put on a ventilator twice and was bed bound from the stroke, with no movement in my legs and barely any in my arms.
“I was told I would never walk again but after a cranioplasty I was able to move my fingers, arms and legs.
“I learned to use a one-armed, self-propelled wheelchair before being discharged to Helen Ley House in Leamington Spa, Castel Froma’s specialist rehabilitation centre for neuro and spinal injuries.
“An incredible team of therapists helped me learn to walk and dress myself again in 2022 and I was finally discharged into a supported living facility in November 2023.
“I started volunteering in May 2024 at a Mind charity shop in Coventry, where a great team of people helped me learn new skills and to feel worthwhile again.
“Now I plan to climb Mount Snowdon by walking up the Llanberis Path in May 2025 to raise funds that will be split equally between Castel Froma and Mind, the charities that helped me rebuild my life.”
Nicole Fyfe, Clinical Services Manager at Castel Froma, and the Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist who worked with David, said: “David was a pleasure to work with and was highly motivated throughout his rehabilitation.
“There was nothing he wasn’t willing to try, and he often joked about what ‘crazy tasks’ I would get him to try next.
“When David first came to us, we asked him his therapy goals. He could only step between his bed and wheelchair with a Zimmer frame and two people supporting him, so I thought he’d say just being able to walk.
“But he told us that he was going to climb Snowdon! Five years later, after a lot of hard work and dedicated rehabilitation, I’m so pleased this is possible.
“Everyone at Castel Froma is grateful for David’s fundraising effort to help others get rehabilitation support.”
A spokesperson for the fundraising team at Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind said: “David’s story is nothing short of extraordinary.
“His determination to overcome such significant physical and emotional challenges is deeply inspiring, and we’re incredibly grateful that he’s supporting Mind through his Snowdon hike.
“We’re cheering David on every step of the way – he’s a true example of strength, resilience and community spirit.”
David, previously a technical specialist for electronic circuits used in radar systems for autonomous driving cars, added: “Every donation will help others facing neurological and mental health challenges.”
Donations for David’s recovery trek up Snowdon can be made here: https://givestar.io/gs/davids-recovery-trek-up-snowdonyr-wyddfa
