Dad paralysed from chest down after clipping car on school run

A dad-of-four will never walk again he was left paralysed from the neck down in a devastating crash on the school run.

Mat Holten was in the car with wife Kristina Holten after dropping off their twin 12-year-old boys at Wadebridge school, Cornwall.

Dad Mat, 45, from Bodmin, tried to swerve to dodge a car that had pulled out into the main road. He then clipped the front of the car and struck a wall on the right-hand side of the road. The impact caused Mat's car to roll over, said Mat's brother Mark.

• 'I thought paracetamol would cure me, but my symptoms were incurable cancer'
• Make this one swap in the kitchen to ease arthritis pain, expert says

Mat was stuck in the car upside down unable to feel his leg while Kristina managed to get herself out of the car. Emergency services made their way into the car accident where they assessed that Mat had injured his neck. He was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and was told he sustained a level seven spinal injury, resulting in paralysis from the neck down.

Wife Kristina, 41, said: "One day we were driving down the road and the next this car pulled out in front of us and we are going upside down in the car and it was very scary. I can't believe I managed to get out so well and what happened to Mat was so bad.

"I managed to unstrap my seat belt and get out of the car and Mat was stuck in the car he couldn't get unstrapped and he said his arm was hurting and couldn't feel his legs. We have been married for 23 years. We used to do everything together. We are like soulmates. It is very difficult not having him around."

The accident happened at around 8.40am when they were coming back from the school run. Kristina said: "I was just left there watching him and just felt helpless really sitting on the roadside. It has been very surreal. The beginning of the last month just seemed like a nightmare. I have slowly come to terms with it but it has turned my world upside down."

Mat had 14 hours of surgery to fix his neck and has now been transferred to Truro in Cornwall. He will be transferred to Salisbury Rehabilitation Centre, where he’ll spend at least six months undergoing intensive therapy and rehabilitation.

Mat was hoping to be a volunteer driver for the NHS before the accident happened. He has two twins, a 16-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son. Brother Mark, 48, explained that he can only operate one hand and his speech is slurry and slow.

He said: "He will never walk again. He can't feel anything from his nipples down. It is very traumatic for him. He has good days and bad days but it is the realisation of what to come that is the hard part."

Wife Kristina added that this has taken a "big impact" in his mental health. She said: "He is so used to be independent and now he is laid up in hospital. It is horrible for him. My children are missing him a lot. My youngest 12-year-old twins see their dad at the weekend.

She added: "He is the kindest person you'll ever meet. He even carries cat treats in his bag in case he sees a cat walking down the road - he is that kind of person."

The family were already facing financial challenges before the accident, and now the added strain of travel costs, accommodation, and food expenses to be by Mat’s side during his long recovery is becoming "overwhelming". They are raising funds for the fuel costs and future travels to Salisbury which is 250 miles from where they live.

Kristina added she is forever grateful for all the donations given to Mat's cause. To make a donation visit their GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/hope-for-mat-family-by-his-side-on-the-road-to-recovery