A dad-of-two who was hit by a car outside his own home now faces months, and possibly years, of recovery after being left with brain damage.
Agnes Wojtas heard people screaming before looking out to see her husband Tomasz' backpack strewn across their street and suddenly realised he had been hit by a car.
Tomasz, who is originally from Poland, has lived in Clitheroe, Lancashire with his family for eight years and was returning from a shopping trip when he was knocked down.
"As soon as I saw his backpack on the street, I ran out of the house," 46-year-old Agnes told Lancs Live.
"I sat with him until an ambulance arrived to take him to the helicopter, which took him to Royal Preston Hospital."
Agnes was then accompanied by a police officer who went with her to collect her children, Amelia, 11 and Tomasz, 13 so they could go to the hospital together.
Doctors told the family Tomasz may not survive the accident which had caused serious damage to his brain and broken his spine.
"I was terribly afraid because Tom is my life, my oxygen," Agnes added.
"I knew I had to be strong for him, for the children and for myself - I couldn't break down."
Tomasz underwent surgery to remove two bones in his skull in order to "save his brain".
Then, three days after the accident, Agnes was told by the doctors treating her husband that he still may not survive, or he could remain in a lifelong coma or be paralysed.
Tomasz was in an induced coma for nine days.
"The first day he was unconscious but he squeezed my hand, moved his leg, opened his eyes.
"The doctors did not believe that it would work, that he would come back.
"After three days from waking up, he remembered me and that we have children. He does not remember where we live, or what day it is, but he knows he has a family."
Miraculously, two weeks after waking up, Tomasz was talking and after four weeks of critical care, he was transferred to neuro care in the hospital, due to the stability of his condition. He remains there today.
On Thursday, Tomasz underwent surgery to have plates inserted in place of his bones and has begun a long road to recovery.
Agnes says her husband "wants to go home", but is unable to due to his condition.
He is unable to stand due to the weakness of his muscles, but will be undergoing rehabilitation as well as physiotherapy.
Agnes is hoping to raise money to go towards her husband's rehabilitation, special needs and other rising costs, including household bills and feeding her family.
"Honestly, we were left without money for fees, plus rent," Agnes said. "We get help from the food bank and I had to buy uniforms for the children for school.
"We don't have a car so I use the help of good people who drive me and bring me from Preston to Clitheroe. I pay for fuel to some, because not everyone wants to drive for free."
She added that Tomasz is receiving sick pay from his job as a chef at Holmes Mill in Clitheroe, but the family are getting nothing else apart from weekly child tax credit.
Once her husband is out of the hospital, she is planning on applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), but is relying on donations for the meantime.
"Tomasz has been working at Holmes Mill as a chef for six years, where everyone likes and respects him," Agnes said. "I am diabetic, I take insulin - Tom always took care of me, now I take care of him.
"Family and love is the most important thing in life. If you love and respect, you have everything you need to be happy."
