Lewis is running the Manchester Marathon on 19th April 2026, 21 years after his brother’s accident.
Lewis’s Story
You can donate here: Lewis Bamber is fundraising for Headway Central Lancashire
On 19th April 2005, my family’s life changed forever.
My mum was on the way to pick me up from school when she had to pull over to let an ambulance pass. After collecting me, she discovered the ambulance she’d just moved aside for was actually on its way to my brother, Matt.
Matt had come off his motorbike.
He’d suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. His brain was swelling and he also had a fractured clavicle and a crushed right arm. His condition was deteriorating quickly, so doctors had to intubate him and place him into an induced coma.
He spent two months in critical care fighting for his life.
When Matt was eventually transferred to a neuro ward, things were still incredibly uncertain. He couldn’t speak, didn’t recognise anyone, and could only move one side of his body. He had no awareness of what had happened to him or where he was.
Matt then spent 18 months in private rehabilitation learning to walk, talk and rebuild his life before finally being able to return home.
Thankfully his recovery has been good overall. But what we realised as a family during that time was how little support existed for families dealing with brain injury.
So my mum set up Headway Central Lancashire in 2010, and for the last 15 years she has selflessly dedicated her life to growing and running the charity, supporting people and families going through exactly what ours did.
Today the charity supports over 2,000 patients every year, as well as their family members, through guidance, support sessions, coaching and practical help.
In 2018, the charity expanded its services to also support major trauma patients. Around 1,300 major trauma patients are treated each year at the Major Trauma Centre in Preston, many coming from across the UK including people visiting places like the Lake District and Blackpool.
The scale of brain injury is huge. Every 90 seconds someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with an acquired brain injury.
I’m raising money to support the charity and help it continue the incredible work it does for families who desperately need it.
Over the last few years I’ve developed a bit of a love for running. Which is slightly unfortunate because I’m built like a prawn cracker and have had two ACL surgeries in the last four years. But if my family and all the incredible families supported by the charity can get through something as difficult as acquired brain injury, the least I can do is stomp around Manchester for a few hours.
If you’d like to support an amazing charity, I’d hugely appreciate any donation.