Lodge donation says thanks after caring for dad seriously injured by cricket ball

Michael Ratcliffe, from Deanshanger, was injured by a cricket ball during a practice session in 2011, when the ball went through the net, hitting him on the left side of his head.

He underwent life-saving emergency surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital and later transferred to the Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE), unable to speak or care for himself, and paralysed down the right side.

After five months of intensive therapy he had regained the ability to walk and was beginning to speak and returned home to his wife Claire and their children, Jack, then aged 4, and Ethan, who was 7.

Claire devoted herself to continuing his recovery and he has now returned to driving, can walk and talk, and hopes to return to paid employment.

Claire’s father, Dennis Hall, who was Master of the Milton Keynes Masonic Lodge during the last year, has raised £2,000 as a donation to give to the OCE’s Rivermead Development Fund, to say thank you to the team who worked with Michael on his long road to recovery.

Consultant Dr David Henderson Slater said: “This generous gift will be used to support staff training and for the provision of extra equipment and facilities for other OCE patients.”

Dennis added: “My Lodge wanted to show its appreciation for the work that the OCE does and we wanted to ensure others in our community are able to benefit from their expertise.”