Carl Dacres has always been a Rugby League stalwart, being associated with a variety of top class amateur sides within Leeds. During his spare time he assisted Paul Fletcher, in the coaching of the Leeds Metropolitan University side. It came as no surprise he lined up to play a friendly game for East Leeds against Milford in March 2009.

As a consequence of an ordinary innocuous tackle, Carl was left seriously injured and was rushed to Pinderfield Hospital in Wakefield. His mum and his fiancée Lianne visited him everyday and continued to be his main support. For nearly six weeks Carl could not move any bone in his body. Yet through those darkest days, Carl remained confident and enthusiastic.

His one focused aim was to walk down the aisle and marry his fiancée Lianne on their wedding day on August 1st 2009. The medical staff smiled but encouraged the thought process, if it in turn encouraged Carl. Jimmy Gittins, Peter Stephenson and Paul Kilbride went to visit him. These lads themselves had all had serious life changing spinal injuries due to playing Rugby League. As the bruising around Carl’s spinal cord subsided it became apparent that Carl had severely depressed his spinal cord and not broken it, as was initially feared. Encouraged by others, Carl set about the task of making himself fitter. Sending messages down to his toes was a beginning and his greatest elation came, when eventually his toes began to move. The prospect of walking down the aisle suddenly became an outside chance.

Despite the continual exhaustion, Carl got better everyday and began to move around with the aid of walking sticks. The pestering of the doctors paid off and it was agreed Carl could leave the hospital a week before the wedding date. It was still unclear however, as to whether he would walk unaided down the aisle. His amazing recovery continued and slowly he began to walk unassisted.

This was one of the most astonishing recoveries seen. His determination was a driving factor in his recovery and he also bore an absolute commitment to being there at his own wedding! On August 1st 2009 in the beautiful setting of Lianne’s hometown church in Jersey, Carl and Lianne were married.
Very rarely does the groom get a standing ovation from the guests. Carl walked down the aisle unassisted with not a dry eye in the room. A wonderful occasion for two wonderful people. Carl will always need extensive and continual specialist physiotherapy. The RFL Benevolent Fund has made a life long commitment to Carl and has pledged to pay for his physiotherapy in the future.