Hull cyclist’s brain injury scan featured on ‘provocative’ helmet

A leading cycle brand has created "provocative" cycle helmets using scans of real patients’ brain injuries from life-threatening bicycle accidents including a crash victim from Hull.

Endura has developed four helmets, with one featuring a print of the brain scan of Ian Charlesworth, 62, who was involved in a collision with a lorry that left him with a serious brain injury. The four helmets are now up for grabs in Endura’s online prize draw on Crowdfunder.

Endura said: “The one-of-a-kind range, entitled Project Heid, has been created in partnership with The Brain Charity, using CAT scan representations of the traumatic brain injuries sustained by four real-life cyclists.

“Each one-of-a-kind Endura helmet has a different story to tell. They are intentionally provocative, quite literally showing the potential consequences if you ride unprotected.”

Ian was struck by a HGV in Mount Pleasant when he was cycling[2] to work, without a helmet on, in 2019. The physical and mental impacts of the collision still affects him today, four years on.

Endura's FS260-Pro Helmet with Ian's brain scan Endura's FS260-Pro Helmet with Ian's brain scan

Speaking to Hull Live earlier this year, Ian said: “It turned my legs from a 57-year-old bloke who rode his bike and did a lot of physical work into like a 75-year-old man. I lost all my physical strength and everything.

“I still struggle mentally today. The fact is I went from that person who looked after my family and wife to them looking after me.”

Ian has no memory of the actual accident himself so other people told him what happened. Following the collision, Ian was in a coma for two and a half weeks and he lost two stones in weight.

He became involved in Endura’s national initiative calling for cyclists to wear a helmet for safety. Endura designed its Project Heid helmets as Brain Awareness Week which was held in March.

Ian had never seen his brain scans before until Endura showed him the helmet. He thought it was “marvellous” what they had done and he believes wearing a helmet will “save people’s lives because it’s going to protect your skull”.

Ian Charlesworth with his wife Joy Ian Charlesworth with his wife Joy

The other three Project Heid helmets are of other people who have suffered serious brain injuries from bicycle accidents. One of them includes a British grandfather who, after gifting his grandson a scooter, decided to have a go himself without wearing a helmet and he fell off after hitting a pothole which led to him suffering right temporal lobe contusions and an acute subdural haemorrhage on impact.

To be in with a chance of winning one of the four Project Heid helmets, the Scottish cycle[3] brand is holding a prize draw with each entry costing £5. The money raised will go to its charity partner, The Brain Charity.

The four helmets for the four winners of the prize draw are the D2Z Aeroswitch Helmet that is a size medium to large, the Pisspot Helmet that is a small to medium size, the FS260-Pro Helmet that is medium to large and the MT500 MIPS Helmet that is also a medium to large size.

Entries for Endura’s prize draw can be purchased until 11.59pm on June 2. There are different entry options including £20 for five entries with a 20 per cent discount and you can entry the prize draw for free by sending a letter or post card with your details to The Brain Charity.

Enter the prize draw and find out more information by clicking here[4].

References

  1. ^ Hull man's plea for cyclists to wear helmets after suffering brain injury in lorry crash (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
  2. ^ cycling (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
  3. ^ cycle (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
  4. ^ here (www.crowdfunder.co.uk)