A FORMER Bude resident who lost his arm in a motorcycle accident says he has been ‘overwhelmed’ with support from his friends and family who are helping to raise money for a new prosthetic arm.

Ross Haines, 22, lives in Perth, Western Australia, and was born and raised in Bude. In April his life changed completely when he was involved in a serious motorcycle collision. Ross lost his left arm, severely damaged the right one and suffered terrible internal injuries.

Now, his family and friends from Bude and Perth are rallying around to help him raise money for a new prosthetic arm.

Ross’ mother, Dianne Sims, said: “We have been fundraising for an ‘I limb’ so that Ross can have the best quality prosthetic we can get for him. To lose a limb at the age of 21 has been devastating, but Ross’s sense of humour and sheer determination has been an inspiration to us all.”

Ross’ stepbrother Glen Bickle organised a sponsored cycle ride from Thornbury, near Bristol, to Bude — Glen said he sees Ross as a true brother and was eager to help: “We are close — I don’t see Ross as a stepbrother, more of a brother. When I first heard about him needing a new robotic arm and how expensive it was, I immediately thought about raising some money to help. I had just completed a half marathon and wanted to do something different, so I thought about organising a cycling event, especially because it is so popular at the moment. I asked some friends and thought maybe a few would want to do it, but they were all super keen. Not everyone knew Ross, but they wanted to support it because it is a good cause — in the end 17 of us took part.”

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week’s edition of the Post.