THE mother of teenage rugby star Luke Bryan, who was left paralysed from the neck down following a tragic accident during a match, has opened her heart to the St Helens Star about her hopes for her son's future.

Star prospect Luke (17) was playing for his local team, Haydock Under 18s' ARLFC, back in October 1996 when disaster struck - a freak tackle dislocated two vertebrae in his spine and caused severe neck damage. But his loving parents refuse to give up hope.

Rushed to Whiston Hospital, Luke was later transferred to Southport Spinal Injuries Unit where he has been receiving specialist treatment ever since.

His parents, Christine and Paul, who have two other children, Matthew (13), and four year old Sally, were watching the fateful match and Christine said: "It was a very worrying time for us when he was first injured because not only did he have the neck and spine injuries, which were bad enough, but he contracted a duodenal ulcer and needed emergency surgery."

Fortunately, his condition stabilized and now, almost four months on, Luke has delighted doctors with his improvement and his refusal to look on the black side.

Christine (39) added: "He is absolutely marvellous. He was originally hooked up to a ventilator to help him breathe but he doesn't need it anymore. He also sees a speech therapist regularly so his speech is getting better and he is also able to eat most foods unaided now which he couldn't do before. But, he is not allowed to have any milk or chocolate, both of which he loves."

She added: "All the staff at Southport have been wonderful and they have told us Luke is just like a breath of fresh air in the hospital. He is so positive about his condition - he hasn't let it get him down at all and I think that has spurred us on too. He knows he is going to be in hospital for a long time, it could be as long as 12 months, but he is determined to get back to a normal life again."

Christine added that regular visits from Luke's team-mates and college friends - he was an A-level maths and science student at Carmel College - have kept him cheerful. "We go to see him regularly and do what we can but when you're Luke's age, your friends are one of the most important things to you."

Since the Star first carried a report on Luke, the entire Haydock community has rallied round and the Luke Bryan Appeal Fund has been set up by Haydock ARLFC, aimed at giving Luke the best quality of life during his long stay in hospital.

Christine said: "We just can't thank everyone enough who has helped raise money for Luke. We recently took a TV set in for him so he wouldn't get bored and thanks to the fund, he has been able to have a video recorder."

The latest fundraising venture by the appeal is a postal auction of unique sporting memorabilia which includes a Saints rugby ball signed by RL legends, Tom Van Vollenhoven and Billy Boston, and current captain, Bobbie Goulding.

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