We have discussed and dissected the perils of combat sports after the deaths of Donshay White and Tim Hague earlier this year. The prospect of trying out pro boxing and mixed martial arts does look intriguing for any intermediate-level martial artist, but the consequences are something not much spoken about.
Disheartening news has once again come up, this time from Wales. 17-year-old Nathan Davies collapsed in the third round of his debut bout and suffered a brain damage. He is now left in a wheelchair, with his promising career coming to an end at such an early age.
The kid was on life-support machine for close to three weeks, after which the brain damage numbed his hands and legs.
Nathan's dad Martin Davies, for one, is inconsolable. "No-one knows why he collapsed. He wasn't badly hit, there's no underlying health problems but something must have triggered it," he has been quoted as saying by the Sun.
"Seeing your son attached to all those machines, it was a living nightmare. Then they showed us his brain scan and our world collapsed. He started getting movement in his left arm the other day, so we take it one hurdle at a time. And goals like that spur him and us on."
Donation campaign for Nathan Davies
Gary Lockett, fellow Welsh boxer and a former World Boxing Union (WBU) Middleweight champion, has started a donation drive for Nathan.
Lockett was there in the corner of former highly-rated English boxer Nick Blackwell during his fight against Chris Eubank Jr on March 26 last year at Wembley. Blackwell went to an induced coma after the fight and his pro boxing career came to a premature end at the age of 25.
So far, the donation drive at Just Giving from Lockett has raised close to £1000.
I've set up this just giving page to try and help support the recovery and rehabilitation of Nathan Davies, a sixteen year old young man who's plight came to my attention last year. I've supported and followed the progress of Nathan's situation after speaking at length with his family and coaches.
On 24th June 2016, Nathan made his amateur boxing debut at the age of 16 and sustained a serious head injury after collapsing at the end of the 3rd round.
Nathan had sustained a bleed to the brain and in the following days he took a bad turn due to pressure building up in his brain which required surgery to relieve.Nathan has shown amazing strength and character to come through these very delicate stages but still has a long term recovery ahead of him with his rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
What an awful thing to happen to Nathan at such a tender age and also spare a thought for just how painfully hard this last 18 months has been for his parents Martin and Alison. As a father myself, I can't begin to imagine.
Nathan's family have set up
"The Nathan Davies Trust Fund "It is a campaign very close to my heart after myself going through similar heart aches with both my fighters and an opponent of one of my fighters. It would be fantastic if you could donate to my just giving page to try to make a difference to Nathan's recovery as we work hard to try to give him a start in life once he finishes his rehabilitation.
Anything that you can give is very much appreciated and as I previously mentioned, would go a long way to help this young man who has a tough road ahead.
#supportingnathandavies
