Matthew Allen

Matt was admitted to hospital on the 11th December 2019 after having a bout of sickness the day before. Once in hospital he started to deteriorate rapidly and before his friends and family could take a breath Matt was in a coma, his kidneys not functioning and neither were his lungs. With no clear diagnosis, or explanation, it was now clear he had sepsis and was in septic shock. Following the stay in ITU, Matt was diagnosed with Peroneal Nerve Palsy, Compartment Syndrome and Bilateral Drop Foot which in turn have resulted in lower leg paralysis in both legs. This was a very stressful time for both Matt and his partner Jen who is also an M2M beneficiary but Matt's positive outlook has meant he's kept in high spirits and is still fighting to make more of a recovery. Matt had another surgery in September 2021 which meant he couldn't attend the Alpine Challenge but was able to come along to the Walk The Coast event down in Cornwall and the M2M weekend in Wales and get's a lot out of being outside and with like-minded people. Matt said "I love how they have managed to create a small community of like-minded people. Facing a new disability can be a lonely place, but M2M has provided me a place where I feel accepted and surrounded by people who understand my journey. I will forever be grateful to them for their support and been shown that my disability doesn't have to stop me living life. In fact, it can be a springboard into an adventure and laughter filled one."

I had just woken up from a coma following multi organ failure. I faced the realisation that I had paralysis of the lower legs from a complication. The doctors assured us that this would be a temporary paralysis and would improve over time. Many appointments and tests later it was confirmed that this, in fact was permanent. My world changed that day.

Having been out of hospital a few months, we were flung into lockdown and medical support was minimal. I was sent a link to Ed's story via my girlfriend who saw that I was struggling with my recovery and new limits.

It was inspiring.

I was awestruck by his determination and found myself asking why I wasn't I out there doing the same.

We both reached out to Millimetres2Mountains and the rest is history.

Back to Beneficiary Stories