A former Arsenal academy player has been left tetraplegic and needing round-the-clock care after his drink was 'spiked' on night out.
Daniel Cain was a fit and healthy ‘avid footballer’ who played for both Arsenal and Barnet FC development centres, alongside his job as an electrician.
However, his life changed forever in June 2020 when his ‘drink was spiked’ and he suffered a cardiac arrest.
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Paramedics worked on Daniel, now 23, for almost half an hour before getting his heart-beating again, during which time his brain and spinal cord were starved of oxygen leaving him with devastating injuries.
Daniel’s heartbroken family were told to prepare for the worst, but after 25 days in a coma he came round.
His mum Tracey Cain told The Independent: “When he woke up he couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t move - he was like a newborn but nurses said he was following them with his eyes, so they said there was ‘someone in there'.”
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Daniel has since defied the odds by slowly regaining his cognitive function.
“He’s gradually coming back and is improving all the time,” his mum added. “His long-term memory, things from childhood, he still remembers all that.”
After more than two-and-a-half years, Daniel is back home but needs round-the-clock care and relies on a wheelchair to get around.
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His family are now raising money to get Daniel intensive rehabilitation therapy which will give him the opportunity to walk again.
On the fundraising page - which you can donate to here - Daniel’s sister Natalie explains: "At 23 years of age, Daniel is not giving up.
"He has the opportunity to regain the full use of his legs, to stand and walk once again, and to achieve total independence via an organisation called Neurokinex, in Hemel Hempstead, near his home.
"This will involve a lot of intensive and expensive rehabilitation therapy, but we are determined to help Daniel thrive once again.
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"Only the first six sessions were funded by the NHS after which, each session is costing £63 per hour.
"Daniel began his rehabilitation on 16 January 2023, to allow his body introduction to movement once again.”
Daniel has had his six NHS-funded sessions and is now raising cash to cover ‘a minimum of 4 sessions a week initially (whilst Daniel continues to build his strength) to a max of 8 sessions per week - costing from £1,008 to £2,016 per month (£12,096 to £24,192 per annum)’.
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You can donate here.
Claire Reid