An "inspirational" LFC fan, who got the chance to interview Jurgen Klopp, had to relearn to walk and talk after coming out of a coma.
Loyd Wildridge, 22, from Great Sutton, was born prematurely and began exhibiting signs of a developmental delay in his early childhood. He was put into a medically induced coma at the age of six after suffering with seizures and was diagnosed with encephalitis, a rare but serious condition which causes inflammation to the brain.
Loyd’s mum, Helen, 46, told the ECHO: “At one point, I was actually called to his bedside because we thought he might be lost. We were told to prepare for the worst. He got rushed from Chester hospital to Alder Hey and was in a medically induced coma for a number of days.”
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The incident left Loyd with irreversible brain damage, and rendered him unable to walk and talk.
Helen said: “When he was brought back around, he was not the child that he’d been beforehand. He was in a vegetative state and couldn’t walk, talk or sit up. He was basically like a new-born baby.”
After spending six months in hospital, Loyd slowly regained his speech and mobility, and has since raised thousands for charity in the hopes of helping other young people with disabilities. A fanatical LFC fan, Loyd’s story even caught the attention of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who sat down for an interview with the 22-year-old back in 2017.
Last year, Loyd took part in the nationwide 5K May challenge which helped to raise £1,800 for Chester-based charity, Children Today. The charity provides specialist equipment for children and young adults with disabilities, and holds a special place in Loyd’s heart after they provided him with adapted trike to help with his rehabilitation after an operation on both his legs in 2016.
Helen said: “Loyd’s done a few charity walks for Children Today. This year he approached and asked if there was anything he could do to help out and their theme was the number 10. So, Loyd came up with the idea to walk 10k in 10 towns.”
Despite having a leg discrepancy and suffering with back pain, Loyd will aim to complete his quest to walk 10k in 10 towns across Merseyside in Cheshire over the course of June. Having already notched up 2k in New Brighton and Eastham, Loyd is particularly looking forward to heading to his beloved Anfield, where he will complete a lap around the stadium as part of the challenge.
In addition to his fundraising efforts, Loyd has also been commended by local MP, Justin Madders, for his involvement in the Ellesmere Port Wombles, a litter picking group which he volunteers for in his spare time. And Helen couldn’t be prouder of Loyd’s achievements.
She told the ECHO: “He’s inspirational. He’s got a heart of gold and he’ll do anything to help anyone. It’s so humbling. He’s quite well known in our town as well, and he really cares about the environment. He’s just so kind.”
To find out more about Loyd's story, click here.
