Terminally ill man’s ‘last Christmas’ saved by NHS engineer who fixed wheelchair
A TERMINALLY ill man’s “last Christmas” was saved by a hero NHS engineer. Paul Carter, 75, has motor neurone disease and relies on a motorised wheelchair to get around — but it packed up on Christmas Eve. Wife Jean, also 75, rang the NHS wheelchair workshop but was told they could not be helped until […]
A TERMINALLY ill man’s “last Christmas” was saved by a hero NHS engineer.
Paul Carter, 75, has motor neurone disease and relies on a motorised wheelchair to get around — but it packed up on Christmas Eve.
Wife Jean, also 75, rang the NHS wheelchair workshop but was told they could not be helped until the new year. It meant Paul would have to miss the family Christmas dinner at his daughter’s house a mile away from his home in Warrington, Cheshire.
The retired police officer also feared it might be his last Christmas because of his condition.
So, in desperation, Jean called again to beg for help — and the head engineer took pity and agreed to make an exception.
The wheelchair was picked up at 10am on Christmas Eve — with the depot due to close for the festivities at noon. Paul said: “At 11.45am the man and van returned, a ‘modern-day Santa Claus’, with the repaired wheelchair.
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“He barely stayed long enough for us to thank him properly, racing to get the van back across town before 12 when the workshop would be locked up.
“My last Christmas on Earth was saved thanks to this determined head engineer.
He is a credit to the often-criticised National Health Service.
“What a hero — a man at the other end of the spectrum whose mind is focused on caring for the patients.”
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