A firefighter’s two sons, aged just 13 and 10, have planned fundraisers for us over the last few years as a thank you for the support their dad received following a major cycling accident.
Lee Mullenger, who works for West Midlands FRS but lives with his family in Devon, was rushed to hospital in May 2019 following a cycle crash. He spent five days on a trauma unit and faced potentially never being able to work again.
Fortunately, Lee recovered well – with help from our expert team at Marine Court in Littlehampton – and says his whole family have rallied round to thank us ever since.
“I had what could have been a life-changing cycle crash in May 2019,” says Lee. “The surgeons in A&E actually told me afterwards if I hadn’t been wearing a helmet I could have died.
“The hospital told me I may not be able to go back to firefighting again… but I was determined not to let that happen.
“I phoned the charity as soon as I got home and was offered a place at Marine Court later that year for rehabilitation. It was absolutely brilliant to be honest. I then had two follow-up visits throughout that year, ending at Christmas.
“When you get there, you have all sorts of apprehensions, but the charity gives you the tools you need to really progress. I was able to get back on the run in early 2020, right before lockdown, and I wholeheartedly believe if it wasn’t for the charity, I wouldn’t have got back to work as quickly as I did.”
Lee adds: “It was nice to have a little bit of mental health support too. I’d been struggling with flashbacks and sleep struggles, so that was a relief.”
As a way of thanking us for supporting his dad, Lee’s eldest son Max, who’s now 13, planned to cycle 22 miles in 2022 – from Exeter to Dawlish and back again.
“He initially had a target of completing 22 miles, but managed 25 on the day, raising £850 for the charity,” says Lee.
“My wife Emma’s father was a retained firefighter in Devon, and her uncle was wholetime in Bristol. My brother is a retained Crew Commander in Cornwall, my dad was a Crew Manager and my grandad was a Station Officer in Cornwall – so it really runs in the family!
“We’ve known the charity since it was a Benevolent Fund and we’ve always fundraised. I like to be actively involved wherever I can, and now that’s filtered to my two sons.”
After seeing his brother’s incredible efforts, Lee’s youngest son, Stan, 10, has since set up his own fundraising venture – making homemade jewellery to sell and donating some of the profits to us.
“Stan started off by doing a pop-up shop on our lawn, selling homemade key chains, key rings, necklaces and earrings. He had a cork board and some cardboard displays and he sat there selling it all!” says Lee. “We advertised it locally on community pages and it was amazing. Over the course of the weekend he raised £50, which was incredible.
“From there, he’s gone on to do a local craft fair, an event at school and Dunelm has a community stall near us where he went to sell some of the jewellery too. Since April he’s raised £350.
“Both boys really appreciate the help I’ve had from the charity and want to give something back.
“I really hope my sons’ fundraising in particular can inspire others to get involved. At the end of the day, if 10-year-olds can do it, so can you. If we can inspire others, particularly older members of the fire community, and everyone does a little bit, it will make a real difference.”
To find out more about Stan’s jewellery, click here.