Clearview National April 2017 - Issue 185 | Page 86

ALUMINIUM
Aluminium
veteran shares
a lifetime of
experience
WE TALK TO HIM TO FIND OUT HIS STORY…
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
YOUR ACCIDENT?
I was golfing in Florida in the US in 2009
with Malcolm Allanson, a well-respected
character in the industry. Whilst driving
Malcolm, me and four friends we were hit
by a drunk driver and I immediately lost
consciousness for about 30 seconds. When
I came to, we were surrounded by the
emergency services. We were numbered one
to six in terms of priority to be rescued based
on our likelihood to survive. I was number
five. Someone realised that I was conscious,
I was sedated and in order to save my life,
my left leg was amputated above the knee. I
also sustained several other injuries including
extensive damage to my right leg, a broken
pelvis, ribs and arm as well as a collapsed
lung. Malcolm, my dear friend and colleague,
was number six. He was pronounced dead.
Whilst I couldn’t attend his funeral due to my
injuries, I’ve been told it was attended by huge
numbers of people in the glazing industry.
WHAT IMPACT DID THIS
HAVE ON YOUR LIFE?
I have changed as little as possible in my
life. Bearing in mind I live in a three-storey
house, I didn’t get an accessible bathroom or
a stair lift, or move my bedroom downstairs.
If you don’t challenge yourself and become
complacent then you won’t ever get better. The
86 » A PR 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Wayne Maycock is a well-known figure
in the industry, which he has worked in
for the past 30 years. Following a life-
changing accident, the UK Commercial
Sales Manager at aluminium systems
company Reynaers is raising money for
a new prosthetic leg that will transform
his quality of life beyond recognition.
provision for disabled people is still awful, so
in my opinion you can either shut yourself
away or you can take a can-do attitude and get
on with it. I chose the latter and now seven
years later, nothing phases me.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
THAT YOU NOW FACE?
Have you ever tried to put a shoe on a
prosthetic foot? It isn’t easy! I was stuck with
lace up shoes for a long time, but eventually
found some Chelsea boots with zips. In all
seriousness: everything that you take for
granted, I can’t. I have always made fitness
a priority in my life and at t he gym I see
people running on the treadmill. I can’t
even remember what it feels like to have two
legs, never mind imagine running again.
Nevertheless, the experience hasn’t been as
devastating as you might imagine. I still travel
the breadth of the country for Reynaers on a
weekly basis and travel around Europe visiting
its overseas offices. I still consider myself lucky
on that day, and spending so long in hospital
was a huge leveller as I saw so many people
worse off than me.
HOW WILL A NEW PROSTHETIC
LEG CHANGE THINGS FOR YOU?
I’m mobile in an NHS-funded wheelchair
and a prosthetic, but they are extremely basic
and outdated. A new leg would be a quantum
leap from where I am now. A microprocessor
prosthetic works quicker than your brain to
adapt to different terrains. At the moment,
anything that isn’t flat pavement is a struggle
for me, my balance is extremely poor and it
takes four times longer than normal to walk
up a set of stairs. On steep inclines I have to
walk downhill backwards and lean forwards
in order to compensate for the slope. A
microprocessor, however, would compensate
for me on anything from slopes and stairs to
sand. It can be controlled by the stump of
your leg and buttocks to lock so that it doesn’t
bend, meaning I’d be stable and I would
have the confidence to walk around the busy
town centre again. The problem is, it costs
£25,000.
I’ve already received generous donations
of over £11,000, including £5,000 from
Reynaers. My fundraising total is £30,000
to factor in the rehabilitations sessions and
check-ups. Lots of amputees don’t learn to
walk again because it’s too hard. To put it
in perspective, a prosthetic limb weighs 10-
12kgs. My goal is to walk normally so that
you don’t realise I have a prosthetic limb –
and ultimately, to complete a round of golf
without using a buggy.
To find out more or to donate, please visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/
wayne-maycock-1