She was rushed to hospital via Ambulance and after a series of tests and scans was allowed to go home. She suffered (amongst a whole list of other injuries) fractured sinuses, a fractured eye socket, fractured cheekbone, severe bruising & swelling to her face, and internal bruising to her head.
Even now, a month on, Helen is suffering from headaches, toothache and severe tiredness, not to mention the brain 'fuzziness' (to be honest I think she suffered from that before!), and she is not allowed to take part in any sporting activity for 3 months, which disappointingly means she will miss the Manchester to Blackpool fundraising bike ride in July in support of Christies, a cause close to her heart.
Helen and another of her friends, Kate (who is also the A&E nurse that treated Helen on her arrival at hospital), have started a Facebook page Helmet v No Helmet When Cycling to raise awareness of the importance of wearing a helmet whilst riding a bike. The following is taken from the Brake (road safety charity) website :
A 2002 USA study found more than 100,000 cycling head injuries could have been prevented in 1997 if all USA cyclists had been wearing helmets.
If a cyclist is knocked off their bike, there is a good chance their head will hit the road. Nearly 50% of cyclist admissions to hospital are for head and facial injuries, and the majority of cyclist deaths and injuries are a result of head injury.A helmet dramatically reduces the risk of skull fracture when a cyclist’s head hits an object or the road. It also reduces their chances of concussion and protects their head from cuts and scrapes.These are pictures taken of Helen shortly after the accident, and remember she WAS wearing a helmet, so it doesn't bear thinking about what she would've been like had she not been wearing one.
Don't be afraid to show these to your children, obviously if they are old enough to understand, and explain to them that if this can happen whilst wearing a helmet much worse could happen if they are not.
Halford's have been kind enough to offer readers of this blog the chance to win a Bell Faction Bike Helmet worth £24.99.
Follow @Halfords_uk on Twitter
Tweet the following
I want to win a Bell Faction Bike Helmet from @Halfords_uk over at http://bit.ly/ko486i @jessies_online
As the person this happened to, I cannot stress how important this is to me. Even as I write I am awaiting further hospital investigations as my giddy spells have been getting worse over the last few days.
ReplyDeleteWhen look aat the page, you may be surprised to see some strong negative comments and I'm being accused of being anecdotal & emotional. I ask how this can possibly be devoid of emotion. However, I do welcome the comments made and links posted, as the site is a debate - 'for and against' but after reading up on this subject I stand by my belief that wearing a helmet is important....
Happy cycling to you all and good luck in the competition!!
P.S. don't let this put you off - cycling is a good,family activity - just remember that bikes, like cars, need servicing too!!
facebook liked and commented.
ReplyDeletehi helen, just liked and left a comment on the fb page, lets hope everybody reads the story of your friend and wears a helmet when cycling!
ReplyDeleteWere you on or off road when you fell? If you were off road, where there is a reasonable expectation of falling, why are you advocating all cyclists, regardless of where they are cycling, should wear helmets. Helmets which a great many long-time cyclists (myself included I have been cycling some 8,000 miles a year for forty years) believe are nothing but a placebo.
ReplyDeleteLooks like watching the track ahead for bumps would be another thing to learn. Must have been a pretty big bump to throw a rider off.
ReplyDeleteMillions of thousands of people cycled to work in the past and there were not tens of thousands of head injuries.
Maybe I should write a blog about how I hit my finger with a hammer and tell everyone to wear finger guards when hammering. Or perhaps I should take more care hammering.
There's an awful lot of ignorance out there about cycle helmets. Don't be taken in by it, or by horror stories.
As I said to Helen, (and I did have a triple skull fracture). "I am really sorry for you. I know how awful it is. I always found it especially worse in the morning. A number of times I found myself holding onto the wall…….The fact that a helmet can be broken means the helmet took the brunt of the force, as against your skull. … about helmets. The military wear them, as do: construction workers, police, motor cyclists, racing car drivers, horse riders, skiers, ice hockey players, roller bladers, skate boarders, mountain climbers, and, etc. …. I hope your recovery starts to go well..."
ReplyDelete@6079smithw
ReplyDeleteAs you can see this accident didn't happen to me so please direct your questions to the Facebook page where Helen will be happy to answer them.
I now follow/like on FB and left a comment on their wall.
ReplyDelete@Dorothee77
I tweeted the comp
ReplyDelete@Dorothee77
and I follow now @Halfords_uk
ReplyDeleteit is sooooo important to wear a helmet. Several of my close friends (who are experienced mountain and road bike riders) have been involved incidents and have sustained injuries but the had they not been wearing a helmet their injuries would have been far more severe. A helmet is a vital piece of equipment at all times.
ReplyDeletePeople have been riding bicycles for more than 140 years. Manufacturers started making and mass-marketing helmets fewer than 25 years ago, in response to increasing popularity of off-road riding, where appropriate protection is a wise precaution. So, from that one would expect to have seen a massive drop over the past 25 years in the number of head injuries suffered by cyclists (as a proportion of the number of cycle journeys taken or miles ridden) compared with the previous 115 years. Has there been such a drop? No, I thought not. I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteI have 'Liked' the FB page, am following Halfords_uk on twitter and tweeted the message required.
ReplyDeleteComing from NZ, I agree that helmets should be compulsory while cycling. The helmet law in NZ was supported by Rebecca Oaten, whose son had suffered severe brain damage when her fell off his bike without a helmet. This mum visited schools around the country, describing every aspect of her sons diminished life to students. The catheterisation process especially had an impact on my year group!
I also have a friend who had an accident wearing a helmet and counts herself lucky to be alive.
http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/kingstonnews/8854150.Lecturer_unable_to_recognise_her_baby_after_accident_runs_marathon/
Blimey! Your poor friend! I won't enter as we have helmets and I don't want to deprive someone else. But will add that last week a famous Belgian cyclist came off his bike during a competition and died from the fall. It is so important as you said to be safe. Great post x
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I am shocked. Poor Helen. I have to admit I have become rather lax with insisting that my nearly 8 year old wears a bike helmet being of the school of thought "we never did as kids blah, blah" This has really made me stop and think.
ReplyDeleteI will now insist on ALL of us wearing them
Thank you for highlighting this, hope Helen recovers fully.
I have tweeted and liked on facebook as Superamazingmum
xx
"But will add that last week a famous Belgian cyclist came off his bike during a competition and died from the fall. "
ReplyDeleteHe was wearing a helmet!
Helmets won't make cyclists invincible, I think we all know that, but if your head hits the ground surely the damaged will be minimised if you're wearing one....
ReplyDeleteLet me know when you write your blog & I'll pop over & leave a ridiculous comment
ReplyDeleteAs you can see this accident didn't happen to me so please direct your questions to the Facebook page where Helen will be happy to answer them.
ReplyDeleteLiked Helmet v No Helmet when cycling on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteFollowing @Halford_uk on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteTweeted the message @judithsbooks
ReplyDeleteLiked Helmet v No Helmet when cycling on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteTweeted the message @NidgeWatt
ReplyDeleteFollowing @Halfords_uk on Twitter
ReplyDeleteliked
ReplyDeleteLiked and in desperate need of a new helmet for my little boy.
ReplyDeleteI have left a comment on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI am following @Halfords_uk on Twitter and have tweeted the message @aesop57
My husband is a road biker. He cycles to and from work instead of by car. Last year after someone played a stupid prank on him and buckled one of his wheels he was in an accident with a car. His head hit the front bumper and cracked his helmet. How anyone can be as ignorant as to say have accidents lessened in 25years is beyond me. There is a vast amount more cars and heavy vehicles on the roads in the last 25 years and I'm sure if less people wore helmets there would be a huge increase in the amount of fatalities. I thank god my husband wasn't as ignorant and wore his helmet or that crack couldv'e been his skull and my toddler would possibly have been fatherless or have a brain damaged father. Some commenters on here obviously have already had a bump to the head if they question the importance of doing what you can to be safe for us and our children on roads over populated by cars and lorries. Think before engage brain. Good advice I'd say!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Helen and I am so glad your friend is ok. xx
Have liked and commented on facebook
ReplyDeleteHave followed and tweeted :)
ReplyDeleteHave liked and followed on Facebook
ReplyDeleteLiked and comment on facebook
ReplyDeleteliked and commented
ReplyDeleteNo-one wears helmets in the Netherlands or Denmark, and guess what? Immensely fewer casualties than the UK.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't minimised for Wouter Weylandt.
ReplyDeleteI 'like' Helmet v No Helmet When Cycling on Facebook
ReplyDeleteSarah Anguish
I follow @Halfords_uk on twitter
ReplyDelete@littleboo_21
I have tweeted
ReplyDelete@littleboo_21
There are so many illogical statement here, I'm not sure where to begin. Why was your husband riding a bike with a buckled wheel? That's plain stupid. And in what way did the buckled wheel contribute to him hitting a car? Of course, if you're going to ride an unsafe bike then some form of protection against the inevitable is worthwhile, but the majority of us have a little more sense than that and make sure our bikes are in good owerking order before taking them on to the roads (or anywhere else for that matter). I don't think asking for some hard facts is being ignorant - quite the opposite. I think that if you're going to lecture people about how to live their lives you need a little more evidence than "I'm sure....".
ReplyDeleteLike on Facebook - NATALIE BRADLEY
ReplyDeleteI have liked the Helmet V No Helmet when Cycling Facebook page and posted on their wall - Kirsty Fox
ReplyDeleteI am now following @Halfords_uk on Twitter - @bloomingfox
ReplyDeleteI have tweeted - @bloomingfox
ReplyDeleteHelmet vs No Helmet whilst Walking (500 fatalities vs 100 cyclist fatalities)
ReplyDeleteHelmet vs No Helmet whilst Driving (1200 fatalities vs 100 cyclist fatalities)
Helmet vs No Helmet whilst using the stairs (300 fatalities vs 100 cyclist fatalities)
Why no Facebook pages?
Don't rely on Brake for information unless you genuinely think cycle helmets can prevent 75% of broken legs (no joke, just something else you can "prove" from the data they rely on). Cycling is one of MANY activities you can receive a head injury from, so why single it out as the ONE you must wear a helmet for?
I'm sharing an experience, I have no experience of the other things you mention so why would I write about that. The FB page is not mine so perhaps best if you direct questions about it to the page. Maybe with your vast experience you should start a few FB pages......
ReplyDeletei like Helmet v No Helmet When Cycling on FB and said you sent me
ReplyDeletei follow @Halfords_uk on Twitter (@kiki_725)
ReplyDeletei tweeted the above @kiki_725
ReplyDeleteHi liked on facebook and left a comment :)
ReplyDelete@vickyd4v3
I have followed and tweeted, thanks for giveaway I would love to win, we are going to buy my son a bike for his birthday at the end of June, so a helmet to go with it would be great :)
ReplyDeleteHi....left a comment on Helmet v No Helmet
ReplyDeleteHi, liked and commented on Facebook. A very good awareness blog, have shown my kids, who want to ride without helmets. Thank you
ReplyDeletehave liked and shared on face book
ReplyDeleteFollowing on FB
ReplyDeleteFollowing on Twitter and tweeted - @LilLeese1
ReplyDeleteLiked Helmet v No Helmet on facebook
ReplyDeletefollow Halfords on twitter @alsmonster
ReplyDeletetweeted http://twitter.com/#!/alsmonster/status/76371352373837824
ReplyDeleteHave liked and shared on facebook.
ReplyDeleteHave liked and left a comment (Paul Witney)
ReplyDeleteI have liked the page and left a comment saying i found the page through here x
ReplyDeleteI am following halfords on twitter and have tweeted.
ReplyDelete@zebedee01
I "Like Helmet v No Helmet When Cycling" FB page and left a comment on their wall to say how I found them.
ReplyDeleteI follow @Halfords_uk on Twitter (@pandcands)
ReplyDeleteI've tweeted (@pandcands).
ReplyDeleteI have liked Helmet V No Helmet on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI have liked and commented on Helmet v No Helmet When Cycling's facebook wall - Sue Robinson Mse
ReplyDeleteI have tweeted and liked halfords on twitter @srobbo71
ReplyDeletethe competition closed at 10pm
ReplyDelete