NEXT year Stonehouse man Philip Bevan will kiss his new bride and together they will walk down the aisle to begin their new life as husband and wife.

One year ago however, these simple but life changing few steps would not have been possible.

It is down to the dedicated help of healthcare and physiotherapy professionals in Stroud and beyond that Philip, 68, will be able to walk beside his bride.

In April 2016 he fell from his bicycle near the Horse-trough Roundabout in Stonehouse and crushed his vertebrae, seriously damaging his spinal column.

At the time he was left temporarily paralysed, forced to use a wheelchair and was told by specialist doctors that there was a chance he could never walk again.

But thanks to months of perseverance and hard work from himself and the assistance and belief of nurses and specialists, Philip is just about able to walk freely without the aid of crutches.

Now he wants to thank all the people who over the course of 12 months helped him redevelop his muscles, regain his independence and rebuild his life.

"These days whenever we hear news about the NHS it is always doom and gloom. I wanted to praise and share the amazing work of these women in helping me walk again," he said.

"Because of them I'll be able to walk down the aisle at my wedding next year. These stories don't get told enough. I owe them all so much."

When Philip was first injured he was placed in intensive care for two months and then treated at the specialist unit at Salisbury Spinal Hospital for six months.

"I had lost almost all use of my legs and all sensation. At the time the prognosis was bad and I was told I might never walk again," he said.

"I was not be able to pick things up or feel them with my hands either. It was terrifying. But I was determined I would not spend the rest of my life like that."

It was Liz Simmonds, Occupational Therapist from Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust’s (GCS) Integrated Community Team who was the first to notice his potential, and what followed was a perfect example of how effective a collaborative and co-ordinated approach within intergraded health care bodies can be.

After Philip moved back home in November, he was using a wheelchair and struggled to move around the house and look after himself, as his partner is away on work for weeks at a time.

"Simple things such as moving around the house, washing, dressing and getting into bed were suddenly so difficult," said Philip who worked as a Research and Development Engineer before the accident.

"I was unable to feel pain so doing things like cooking for myself or boiling the kettle were also problematic. I couldn't even open letters or write."

But with the daily help of district nurses and the unique approach of Gloucestershire County Council's Reablement Team, he was then able to regain some independence at home.

Philip would like to thank his ward councillor Chris Brine for arranging for his bins to be taken out, a task which he was unable to complete, he states he was 'done for' without Mr Brine's assistance.

With achieving his goal of swimming and use of the physiotherapy equipment at Stroud General Hospital he was then able to slowly regain the use of his legs and relearn the sensation of touch.

"They had me doing a program of exercises that I followed religiously until I began to be able to move around and feel some textures again," added Phil, who lives in Gloucester Road.

Buffy Lee, a Neurological Physiotherapist at GCS led the project and watched Phil's transformation with a professional eye.

"Over weeks and months we saw him go from a wheelchair to two crutches to one crutch and now nothing," she said.

"I encouraged him when I saw him up and taking his first few wobbly steps. Now he can walk freely on his own.

"It's only the little changes you notice each time, but over the year Phil has made a remarkable recovery.

"We're so proud of him. His determination and the stubbornness of his fight was so inspiring"

Selene Pearce, a District Nurse in the Stonehouse Team at GCS who treated Phil when he returned home, said: "His positive attitude was so inspiring at times."

Rebecca Hogg, senior staff member from the Reablement Team added: "Phil is a true problem solver and would even invent little things to help him use things in the house. We all really enjoyed working with him."

Phil, who will marry in February 2018, added: "I just want to shout from the rooftops how great a job these women did. They are a credit to their profession."