Dundee man paralysed in crash inspired by Superman star Christopher Reeve

A man from Dundee who “miraculously” survived a car crash and two cardiac arrests is drawing inspiration from Superman star Christopher Reeve to rebuild his life.

Dominic Roberts-Brown was driving to work on November 6 last year when his car flipped near Coupar Angus and landed on its roof, leaving him with a broken neck.

He suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene, but his life was saved by an off-duty paramedic who happened to be driving behind him and immediately stopped to perform CPR.

The 25-year-old suffered another cardiac arrest on the journey to Ninewells Hospital, and then underwent surgery on his neck before being transferred to the spinal unit in Glasgow.

His fiancée, Jennifer Devlin, was told by doctors there was nothing more that could be done, and she prepared for his ventilator to be switched off.

‘It’s a miracle he’s here’

Dominic was believed to have locked-in syndrome, and his family were told he would return to Dundee to be surrounded by his loved ones before his ventilator was turned off.

Jennifer said that about 48 hours later, Dominic began to open his eyes and respond to his family by blinking.

“They prepared to switch off his ventilator, but then he started to open his eyes and started to respond just by blinking and things,” she told STV News.

“It’s a miracle he’s here.

“We went from getting told in Glasgow he’s going to Dundee to be surrounded by family and possibly switch his ventilator off, and you come back the next day, and he’s responding.

“We were all just so shocked. No words can explain the feeling when he started to respond to us.”

Dominic is inspired to rebuild his life Supplied

Dominic is now paralysed from the neck down and remains dependent on a ventilator, but Jennifer says he has full cognitive function and is determined to regain as much independence as possible.

The family are now raising funds to give him the best possible chance of rehabilitation, including specialist private physiotherapy, essential equipment and adaptations to their home.

They hope to raise enough money to send Dominic to a specialist facility in England which works with people who have suffered catastrophic spinal injuries.

The family have launched a GoFundMe appeal with an £8,000 target.

“We’re trying to raise money because there’s a private facility in England that can take Dominic,” Jennifer added.

“They specialise in Dominic’s kind of injury, and they can teach him how to play football, using his electric wheelchair. They can get him in swimming pools and involved in activities that show your life’s not over just because you’ve suffered a catastrophic injury.

“He’s only 25, he has his whole life ahead of him.

“We are in a battle with Dundee City Council, so they just want to send him to a care home or a facility where we can’t live with him, but Dominic is adamant he wants to live at home.”

Dominic and Jennifer before the accident GoFundMe via Supplied

Throughout his recovery, Dominic has found inspiration in another man whose life was transformed by a catastrophic spinal injury, Christopher Reeve.

The actor, best known for playing Superman, was paralysed from the neck down after a horse-riding accident in 1995.

Jennifer said Dominic watched a documentary about Reeve around six times after learning about his own injury.

“As soon as Dominic found out about his injury, he thought about Christopher Reeve and his injury,” she said.

“He had a similar injury, he had broken his neck. We’ve watched the documentary about six times.

“It’s someone he can look at. Life wasn’t over for him. He’s so proud of him. He still had his partner and his family. He could do things, so Dominic said, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’

“He gives him so much hope.”

You can donate to Dominic’s fundraiser here.