Stamford man battles for his life after serious crash

A keen rugby fan from Stamford is in hospital battling for his life and facing further operations after he was involved in a serious collision.

Steve Taylor, who is a self-employed electrician, said goodbye to his girlfriend Molly Meadows before heading out in his van for a job in Scotland on Monday.

However, five hours into the journey Steve, who played rugby for Wales in his youth, was involved in a serious collision and had to be cut from his vehicle.

Steve was then airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow before being rushed straight into theatre, where he spent the next 10 hours in intensive surgery to stop the bleeding.

When family member Charlotte Taylor set up a GoFundMe page a day ago, the full extent of Steve’s injuries were not yet known but he suffered multiple severe fractures to both legs.

Charlotte said on the page on Wednesday, which was set up on behalf of Molly, that he remained in a critical condition in intensive care.

She said: “We may not know the true extent, though it is sadly clear that they are very serious. This means that the road to recovery will be a long and tough one.

“At the moment, and for the foreseeable future, we expect Steve to be in Glasgow ICU as they fight to get him into a stable condition. Once they have managed to achieve this, Steve will have to face multiple gruelling surgeries, followed by rehabilitation that is expected to last for several months.”

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe page has raised over £9,700 of its £10,000 target. The money raised will go towards supporting Steve and those who rely on him, with the many expenses that they will incur during this time.

Charlotte added: “In situations like these, as a close-knit community of friends, family and sports club, we feel so helpless and want to give whatever help and support we can. We will always be there for each other no matter what’s required, we will do it without hesitation.

“However, in times like this, it’s extremely difficult to do anything other than be a shoulder for those close to us, and ensure that we are here to support Steve, Molly and their families.

“We hope that with your help, support and generosity we can alleviate some of the stress that Molly and both families are dealing with. While this won’t change the deeply saddening position, it would be a massive support, especially so close to Christmas.

“It will allow those close to his side in Glasgow to remain close by and really focus on what matters most – getting the cheeky, active, smiley Steve that we all have so much love for back to good health.”

The fundraising page has also been shared by Stamford Rugby Club, who Steve used to play for, with his girlfriend’s family thanking the club for their support.

Gary Meadows said on the club’s Facebook page: “We tell Steve every day what is going on and we get a thumbs up and a little smile from him. Please keep praying for the big man, he’s now in the biggest scrap of his life and needs us all.”