Pic: Nigel Hunt
BILLY HEALEY thought he might have cracked a few ribs when he collided with AFC Dunstable's keeper while playing for Hanwell Town back in March – it turned into a six-week hospital stay following life-saving surgery.
The striker was on loan at the EVO-STIK South East side from Wingate & Finchley when the innocuous incident occurred last season.
On July 29, the two clubs will play a benefit match for the 25-year-old PE teacher, who still hasn't been able to go back to work.
Humbling
Doctors at Luton & Dunstable Hospital initially thought they might have to remove his spleen but found a tear in one of his kidneys and a split in his bowel.
But a couple of days later he was rushed in for more surgery – they found another tear in his bowel which caused sepsis and required a gastric bypass.
“The nurses said they'd never seen anything like it before and they were worried it was touch and go for me at that point,” Healey, who scored 55 goals in Hanwell's Step 5 title win in 2014 and 20 Ryman Premier goals for Wingate two years ago, told The NLP.
“The surgeon told my mum and partner that they've only really seen it with people involved in car crashes when the force of the seatbelt can rupture your bowel.
“They found a second split in my bowel. All the waste was leaking around my stomach and meant I was fighting sepsis, which can be fatal. I was in intensive care for three-and-a-half weeks fighting that infection.
“When I was laying in my bed waiting for visitors, it makes you think and reassess your priorities and who's around you. It makes you realise what's important.
“The support I've had has been brilliant. Wingate have started up a justgiving page for me and Hanwell are hosting this game. North Greenford are going to make a donation from their friendly with Hanwell, too.
“It's just been really humbling the amount of teams that have come together. Even on twitter, too.
Respect
“For the first week it was kept a bit quiet because it was a bit touch and go for me. As soon as the news got out that the operation had been a success, former clubs liker Hertford Town and Enfield Town were tweeting messages of support. It's really humbling.”
Healey is planning a return to his day job at Ilford's Isaac Newton School in September, but admits a return to playing is a long way off for now. He would like to see the collision with Garry Malone again, though.
“Dunstable record all their games and have highlights,” Healey said. “They came up for our game and I thought, ‘I wonder if they'll show it'. They didn't, I guess out of respect, but I'd love to see it.
“I remember it. What made it worse though was I didn't know it was coming. I was looking over my shoulder for the ball so I didn't tense up or drop my shoulder to take the pressure away. So I'd like to see it – I thought I was running really quick, but maybe I was really slow!”
