A SINGLE teenage dad has been left in a coma and may never walk or talk again after a horror motorbike crash.
Jake Styler, 17 – dad to a one-year-old son – was knocked off his bike and left with devastating injuries after the smash.
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The crash happened 8:30pm on October 17 in Bugle, Cornwall, where an paramedics brought him to hospital where it was discovered he had two bleeds on his brain.
Doctors put the father-of-one into an induced coma and warned his family he may ‘never walk again.’
Family friend Josie Littlefield, 51, is raising money to cover the family’s travel from St Austell, Cornwall, to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, each day.
Josie, from Bodmin, said: “Jake may never be the same when he wakes up – he was never perfect, but he was good-as-gold, and such a happy-go-lucky kid.
“He’s looking after his one-year-old son – it’s been hard enough for the family.
“But now, they’re having to look after this little man as well.
“I just want to help them make things a bit easier.
“Jake was riding his motorbike towards the Co-op in Bugle, St Austell.
At the same time, a car was driving along the opposite side – and the two collided as the driver turned into the supermarket car park.
Jake was knocked off his bike – and an ambulance rushed him straight to The Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro.
“An ambulance turned up, and a police car,” Josie added.
“The paramedics thought he was well enough to walk to the ambulance – because he only looked like he had cuts and bruises.”
The teen received a full body scan which revealed he had two bleeds on the brain.
He was transferred to Derriford Hospital in the early hours of Friday morning, and sent for emergency surgery to stop the bleeds.
After surgery, doctors placed him in an induced coma with a breathing tube.
Josie said: “He’s in a bad way – but fingers crossed, he’ll be able to come out of it.”
The family friend took Josh, Jake’s twin brother, in to see him on Saturday.
She said the teen “fell to the floor” upon seeing his brother.
“Jake kept making movements after being induced into a coma, and apparently sat up in bed,” she added.
“We think, maybe, it’s because he could hear Josh.
“Twins are more than siblings – they have such a close bond.
“We were told Jake’s nurses had to sedate him, they didn’t want him to break any more bones.”
Jake’s doctors will be removing his feeding tube in the coming days – to see if the teen can breathe on his own, Josie says.
They say he may need to relearn how to walk and talk – and he may “never be the same.”
Devon and Cornwall Police are investigating a two-vehicle traffic collision in Bugle on October 17 and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information regarding it – in particular dashcam footage – is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall.
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