'He was in a coma but a good bike helmet saved him'

A woman whose stepson was left in a coma after a motorcycle crash has urged his fellow bikers to invest in top-quality helmets and safety equipment.

Aime, from Bolton in Greater Manchester, said Kye, 27, had "spent a lot of money" on protective gear and believes this ultimately saved his life.

Kye was knocked off his bike by a van on the A50 Knutsford Road in Cheshire on 4 March and put into an induced coma for two weeks. He remains in a serious condition in hospital.

"This has crushed our family," said Aime, 35. "But the protective gear saved Kye's life. I want to say: 'If you are not in a position to buy the safest leathers or helmet - then it's not the right time to be riding'."

Aime told BBC Radio Manchester Kye was riding alongside one of his friends when the van pulled out, causing her stepson to be thrown off his bike at the junction of Cranage Lane.

"He was going the speed limit and doing everything right," she explained.

"Kai had to be resuscitated twice at the scene. They flew to him by air ambulance with special doctors who can deal with that kind of trauma at the scene, and they worked on him there for about three hours.

"They then managed to stabilise him to get him to hospital."

At the Major Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Royal Stoke Hospital, Kye had an emergency operation to stabilise his shattered femur.

Kye has also had surgery for dislocated hand joints, needed treatment for internal bleeding, and was put in an induced coma until Thursday.

He remains on ventilation and is being treated for numerous other injuries including a broken back, a broken pelvis, a fractured right arm, three broken ribs and liver lacerations.

Aime, who has been Kye's stepmum for 10 years, described him as having an "amazing personality" with a "dry sense of humour, a strong work ethic and a lot of friends".

She said: "I can't quite put into words the feeling of getting a phone call and being notified by the police - it was petrifying. It didn't actually feel real.

"I was just hoping and praying for a miracle basically."

Aime said she and her 14-year-old son Louis had been at Kye's bedside ever since the crash.

"Louis has been very brave and very mature," she said.

"It has been very upsetting at times but we don't want to keep him away from it because it's reality."

Aime said Kye had recently started a vehicle recovery business for heavy goods vehicles.

As a "one man band", however, she said operations have had to cease and the future of the company remains uncertain.

Since the crash, one of Kye's friends has started a fundraiser to provide him with the support he will need for care, rehabilitation and living costs once he is out of hospital.

Louis has been spearheading a motorcycle safety awareness campaign which has now raised more than £3,000.

"Kye is going to have to relocate once recovery starts - with rehabilitation and physio and everything else that's going to be needed for him," Aime explained.

"He will need to learn to walk again.

"We're not sure yet of what kind of business he can go back to - I hope he can recreate the business, but it depends on his injuries and what strength he can regain."

Kye's family is also not yet sure of when he will be able to come home.

But as he makes the first steps towards a long recovery, Aime said she wanted others to be aware of the safety measures that saved his life.

"It doesn't matter how warm it is out there - you need to wear the right gear," she said. "It has to be safety first - 100%.

"One thing which a blessing is that Kye came out with no head or spinal chord injuries or brain damage - and the helmet was not scratched.

"A spinal cord injury could have left him paralysed.

"It just goes to show the value of quality protection - because if he didn't have that helmet and back brace he definitely wouldn't have survived."

Cheshire Police said no arrests had been made in connection with the collision and added that inquiries were ongoing.

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