Footballer feared he would never walk again
A FOOTBALLER who was airlifted to hospital after suffering a career-ending spinal injury has spoken of the horrifying thoughts he faced as he lay waiting for medical help.
Aaron Leonard (29) believed he would never be able to walk or play with his young family again after he suffered a total loss of feeling in his right side when he fell awkwardly in Barney United’s clash with Lynn Discovery.
The father-of-two from Sculthorpe was airflifted from the Barney pitch to hospital in Norwich after paramedics were unable to access the field by ambulance and he now faces an anxious two-week wait to discover the full extent of his injuries.
Mr Leonard, of Moor Lane, told the Lynn News: “I went up for a header and two players came in from either side and sandwiched me. I landed on my backside and hip, my right-hand side went totally numb, there was no feeling there at all.
“When I could not feel my left or right leg I was thinking I will never be able to walk again. The feeling slowly came back in my left leg but the right was not working at all.
“Everything was rushing through my head – my family came straight to my mind and the thought we might never be able to walk or play together again.”
The North West Norfolk League Division Three match was abandoned after the injury and players and officials from his club are now wishing him a speedy recovery.
Mr Leonard’s cousin and team mate Paul Lough said: “To start with I was very frightened. I was the first to him and I saw straight away that he was in a lot of pain.
“Playing football the only thing I have heard of is people breaking a leg, I have never seen an injury like this.”
Doctors are now waiting for the swelling in his back to go down before they can determine whether he has suffered any serious nerve or muscle damage.
Mr Leonard has two children – Abbey (1) and Brooke (4) – with partner Cara Jeffrey and has vowed never to play the game he loves again through fear of any further injury.
Before joining Barney United he played for a number of local teams including Stanhoe, Snettisham and Hindringham Reserves.
Mr Leonard said: “I am never allowed to play football again. The doctors have said they cannot stop me but if I do something similar there is a 90 per cent chance I will never walk again.”
Despite suffering such horrific injuries Mr Leonard returned to Barney, near Fakenham, on Saturday to cheer his team on in their match with Narborough Reserves.
And his involvement with the team looks set to continue when he is fully recovered as he has been offered a position as coach.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -8 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: 0 C to 4 C
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