EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt has opened up about the heartbreaking moment his 18-year-old son Sam had to be put in an induced coma after being hit by a car. The actor, who plays Ian Beale in the popular BBC soap, has revealed that Sam was crossing the road in London at the end of September when he was struck by a vehicle.
He was rushed to hospital after being treated on the roadside by the London Air Ambulance, and underwent five hours of life-saving surgery to "put him back together". After weeks in a wheelchair, Sam managed to walk "unaided" for the first time just last week – and now father and son have pledged to run the London Marathon together in April in honour of the Air Ambulance Service.
Writing on his JustGiving page, Adam said: "Having been an Ambassador for the Air Ambulance Service for many years, I wanted to more actively fund raise now that both of my children have gone to university. I then talked it through with my son Sam in mid-September and we came up with the idea of him running it and me walking it as a kind of tortoise and the hare to show the difference in transfer times between an Ambulance and an Air Ambulance. I got us two places for the London Marathon then this happened...
"Thursday 29th September, Sam was crossing the road and got hit by a car. The London Air Ambulance responded, treated him at roadside, put him into an induced coma and took him to the Royal London Hospital. I'm not going to go into all the details, that's Sam's business, but the operation to put him back together took five hours.
"Up until last Monday he was in a wheelchair, on Tuesday he started on crutches, yesterday, Friday 18th November, he was walking up a staircase unaided. His recovery has been amazing and we are going to continue with the original plan. In case you are wondering, I'm the tortoise, he's still going to be the hare."
Adam and Sam are hoping to raise £3,750 for the Air Ambulance Service – to help them reach their target, you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Adam-Woodyatt
