Man left with horrific life-changing injuries after freak accident on way to work

The family of a man who was left blind following a bizarre accident on his commute to work have expressed their "eternal gratitude" to the generous community that rallied around him.

Ian Tilston, 35, was travelling on the M56 from his North Wales home to Nantwich in January 2022, when his vehicle was suddenly hit by a horse. The animal had strayed from its field and onto the motorway, where it was hit by another car and flung directly into Ian's path.

He sustained severe injuries and was immediately taken to Salford Royal Hospital for emergency brain surgery. He was later transferred to The Walton Centre for additional operations to reconstruct his face, which was "crushed" in the collision, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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Ian spent over a year at The Walton Centre while his family, including his older brother Adam, worked tirelessly to raise enough funds to purchase and adapt a bungalow to accommodate his new, complex needs - he had suffered significant brain damage, lost his sight, and was unable to walk or even move independently.

After spending 771 days in hospital and a care home in Wrexham, thanks to the donations of hundreds of kind-hearted individuals, Ian was finally able to return home to his family in February.

Adam expressed his heartfelt gratitude: "My mum and stepdad had to sell the family home to buy the bungalow, and the money we raised through the GoFundMe was used to adapt it. Without the GoFundMe, we definitely wouldn't have got him home. He would still be stuck in the care system. His old house wouldn't have met his needs, so it has been life-changing and we're eternally grateful."

He added that his family's life