Motorbike crash in Bowthorpe Road left Norwich man in a coma

Sam McGinn, who lives in West Earlham, was on his way to the shops on his motorbike when a car pulled out in front of him at the Ivry Road junction of Bowthorpe Road.

The May 2021 crash saw him hit the side of the car, go over the bonnet and end up roughly 10 yards on the other side.

Sam McGinn, pictured right, with Liam Reece, who runs The Walk and Talk group in Gorleston (Image: Sam McGinn)

However, after coming to terms with what happened, Sam is now using his own experiences to help others.

The 33-year-old said: "I initially spent 10 days at the N&N before being let home, however, 29 hours later I went into cardiac arrest after an aneurysm on my liver burst.

"My liver was in a dire state and I spent eight days in a coma before spending two months at Addenbrooke's Hospital to have lifesaving surgery.

Sam has struggled emotionally since his motorbike crash (Image: Sam McGinn)

"When I woke up I had 59 staples down my front and I was in so much pain I wished they'd left me asleep.

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"I couldn't understand what had happened and my emotional state was so bad it took me a long time to come to terms with everything."

Sam has launched Mend, a men's mental health group held at Norwich VR Escape Room in Oak Street, aiming to help local men with sessions two Wednesdays a month from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Sam spent eight days in a coma before staying two months in hospital, where his mental health spiralled (Image: Sam McGinn)

Sam ran the first meeting on December 13 with the help of Liam Reece, who runs The Walk and Talk in Gorleston.

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The evening's event includes playing darts and pool with tea and coffee stops throughout.

Sam said the first meeting, at Norwich VR Escape Room went really well (Image: Sam McGinn)

Sam, who owns his own company, SecureDoor, added: "The first meeting went really well - it was actually quite overwhelming for me.

"We're all using each other to help get better and I hope this can create a bridge for blokes who need support.

"I still have my low days but being able to share my experience with others and have a safe space for it is very important."

Details of Mend sessions can be found on Facebook.

- Additional reporting by Henry Durand

The men's group is called Mend and has meetings two Wednesday's a month (Image: Sam McGinn)