FIVE years ago young Tom Powles was so badly injured in a car smash it was thought he would never walk again.
But now he is back on his feet thanks to the help of Alan Elliott and his Forest Fitness Centre and the inspiration of another badly hurt youngster treated at the centre – Tom Bendall.
And because of that he and his father Keith have donated a massive £3,230 to the centre to purchase another of the machines which have been helping both lads recover.
"Seeing Tom Bendall working out with this machine literally got me out of my wheelchair and back on my feet," said Tom Powles.
His spine had been broken in two places, which meant long stays in hospital in Gloucester and receiving specialist treatment in Frenchay and Cardiff, said his father – but years went by before they made the treatment breakthrough with the help of Alan Elliott.
"I can't say how grateful the family is," said Mr Powles. "Without this centre I believe Tom would still be in his wheelchair.
"There must be many others like him who cannot get this sort of help. I have nothing but praise for the hospitals but they just don't have the resources like this."
Alan Elliott said the Motomed treatment was working well for Tom Bendall, left for dead in a horrific hit and run incident in Aylburton two years ago.
But others could also benefit besides people recovering from injuries – MS and stroke sufferers, heart patients and those recovering from operations of various kinds, paraplegics and quadriplegics.
Its huge benefit was that the wheelchair-bound could be attached to the machine and have simple exercises performed for them.
"I could use another one, perhaps two," said Mr Elliott, who is spearheading a £440,000 appeal for a purpose-built sports and fitness centre at Heywood. Anyone who can help can contact him on 01594 826979. He said he was enormously grateful to the Powles family for their gift.
•The centre fund-raising competition to win an E-type Jaguar is reaching its final stages. There will be more details in next week's Review.