Man in coma who 'died four times' in hospital learns to walk again for wedding

Happy endings: Martyn White was in a coma for three weeks but now he's learned to walk again - and went down the aisle with his partner

A man who spent three weeks in a coma and died four times on the operating table has relearned how to walk in time for his wedding.
Martyn White was in a horrific motorbike smash last July which left him fighing for his life.
But even after he woke up, the 45-year-old spent a further six months in hospital.
The former dance tutor says that he 'died four times' and doctors had to fit him with a pacemaker.
His partner Sofia Lefevre, 54, spent hours travelling between their home in Bexhill-on-Sea and London to spend time at his bedside.

Within days of coming round, Martyn asked Sofia to marry him as the best way he could think of to thank her.

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Medical treatment: Martyn's injuries following the crash in July 2014 were extensive, and even now he says his recovery is likely to take two years or more

Martyn said: "It's such a long journey and Sofia doesn't drive so she had to get trains, tubs and taxis from the south coast into London and managed it four times a week, which took its toll. She never once complained but I knew it was an effort and she did it without any thanks.
"When I was talking to her after I came round, I said 'you've been so good, is there anything I can do for you? What can possibly I do to repay you?'
"She said, 'Well, you can walk me down the aisle if you like.'"
Martyn's injuries following the crash in July 2014 were extensive, and even now he says his recovery is likely to take two years or more.
"It's a notorious road for bad accidents. I'd been riding a motorbike for six years and driving a car since I was 20, so I had a lot of experience on the road."

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Happy Together: Martyn with his wife Sofia who supported him throughout his ordeal in hospital

"I overtook one car then the second tried to turn in the road while I was coming past," he continued.
"I broke my tibia and fibia, my right femur, I fractured my pelvis, cracked six ribs and chipped two sets of vertebrae. I also had torn tendons in the shoulder, as well as the usual things like whiplash.
"I was an induced coma for three weeks. The bike was written off of course.
"I picked up an infection off the road, which caused my temperature to go through the roof, and if it goes up just a couple of degrees it can be fatal. I was going hot so they'd put a cool cap on my head, then I'd cool down and they'd have to warm me up.
"I'd broken so much of my body it was struggling to repair itself as well as fight the infection.
"It was really touch and go, I had four cardiac arrests, and they had to fit a pacemaker, which was hellish for my family.
"I woke up a few weeks later having got over the worst of the infection wondering what had happened."

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Aisle Walk: Martyn asked Sofia to marry him as the best way he could think of to thank her

Martyn says he owes his life to the doctors in the hospital who saved him and to an off-duty paramedic who was fortunately on hand.
"The off duty paramedic was in a following car, he came to help straight away and called for the air ambulance, which took me to St George's Hospital. Had I gone somewhere else not as specialised or waited for a regular ambulance I don't know what would've happened.
"The doctors and the surgeon that fixed my legs after the crash, they really saved me. I'm so grateful to the NHS as you don't see these things coming.
"I lost all the muscle in my legs in those three weeks, it goes quickly if you're in bed all that time. I lost two and a half stone in bodyweight."

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Big Day: Sofia and Martyn say the wedding was the perfect way to thank everyone for their support

Martyn and Sofia have been together for 24 years.
He said: "We're not religious so I didn't see any purpose to getting married, but with the accident you find out how difficult it can be if you're not legally married, so we wanted to safeguard our future for the sake of our children."
The couple say they're both so grateful for the help they received the wedding was the perfect way to thank everyone.
Sofia said: "As soon as I got the call we had a whole team swing into action for us, the mums from the dancing school sorted everything out at home for us.
"I stayed the night in the waiting room, and tried not to cry, I had to be positive. He woke up on my birthday, July 30, it was lovely to hear when the hospital phoned me.
"We invited all the people to the wedding who had helped us through this difficult time in our lives, you can't say thank you enough, but we're so grateful to them all."