![\"Ian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/749041491_1549467266840985_4941746526075528703_n.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAn East Lothian dad was forced to medically retire after an injury left him “fighting for his independence”.<\/p>\n
Ian Blyth, from Tranent, started experiencing knee and lower back pain in 2018. In 2020, the dad-of-two was referred to physio where it was discovered he had an underlying degenerative disc disease.<\/p>\n
Ian was told he had suffered an injury known as Hangman’s fracture, which is a break in the second vertebra of the neck and the bone forms a ring around the spinal cord.<\/p>\n
The 52-year-old was rushed into surgery to have emergency spinal fusion surgery. The procedure saved his life but he was left disabled and dealing with severe pain and life-changing injuries.<\/p>\n
Ian now relies fully on a wheelchair and he had to give up his job as a caterer – a job he loved.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, his daughter Katie Blyth said: “Back in 2018, my dad started experiencing knee pain and lower back pain so he went to the doctors.<\/p>\n
“He was sent to the gym to lose weight and he was amazing at the gym. Fast forward to April 2020 and he was finally referred to physio. They checked his reflexes and they weren\u2019t happy with them.<\/p>\n
“He was sent to neurology and he had an MRI which showed the hangman’s break. He was rushed right into surgery to save his life, but he was left disabled and had to medically retire because of the disabilities he has now.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ian and his wife<\/p>\n
Katie, 21, said the hardest part for her dad was giving up his job. He now has to rely on someone for every aspect of his life.<\/p>\n
She added: “I think for my dad, the hardest thing has been going from a hardworking guy who works non-stop to provide for us all, to quite literally being able to do nothing.<\/p>\n
“He can’t leave the house without relying on someone and if he wants to cook, he has to rely on someone being in just in case something goes wrong. He has lost a lot of his independence and his mental health has suffered a lot because he can’t do anything.<\/p>\n
“It honestly breaks my heart to see because he was living his dream before everything happened in 2020. He had to obviously sell his business because he couldn’t do it anymore.”<\/p>\n
Katie has set up a GoFundMe to raise \u00a313,000 to buy Ian a specially powered wheelchair that will give him back his independence. It will allow him to not have to be pushed by someone else and he could leave the house on his own.<\/p>\n
To raise the money, Katie will be taking part in the biggest challenge of her life – multiple triathlons. She will be competing in an Ironman 70.30 next June.<\/p>\n
“I’m nervous, but I’m also excited. I have put in a lot of hard work and I’m training six out of seven days a week”, she added.<\/p>\n
The GoFundMe reads: “Ian now relies on a wheelchair but it has to be pushed by someone else. Something as simple as leaving the house depends on another person being available.<\/p>\n
“The hardest part hasn\u2019t just been seeing him live with pain\u2014it\u2019s watching the impact it has had on his confidence, his freedom and his mental health.<\/p>\n
“My dad has always been the person who puts everyone else first. He worked tirelessly to give me and my younger brother the best life possible, never asking for anything in return.<\/p>\n
“Now it\u2019s my turn to give something back. I’m trying to raise \u00a313,000 to buy Ian a specialist powered wheelchair that will give him back something priceless – his independence.<\/p>\n
“This isn\u2019t just a wheelchair. It\u2019s the freedom to leave the house without relying on someone else. It\u2019s the ability to choose where he goes and when he goes.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s a chance to regain confidence, dignity and a piece of the life that was taken from him.”<\/p>\n