A firefighter who sustained life-changing injuries when a wall collapsed on him whilst tackling a blaze last year will be the focus of fundraising efforts by the Firefighters 100 Lottery this January.
Andrew Adams, 49, was in intensive care for weeks as a result of his injuries which included a severed spinal cord, fractured neck and three broken vertebrae in his back.
He was injured in a fire, now being investigated as suspicious, at a disused building in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland in August last year.
The father of two’s injuries means he can no longer walk and he has no feeling from below his chest.
"The fire service is like a family. We are always there for each other"
Now Andrew, known as Andy to his friends, and his family face one of the biggest challenges of their lives.
Chris McGlone, from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in Scotland, said: “Andy’s whole life changed that day and we need to support him as much as we can.
“The family need to find a new home as the property the family live in at the moment is not suitable for the adaptations needed to be able to live his life.”
All of the funds raised for the good causes supported by the Firefighters 100 Lottery in January will be donated to Andrew.
The lottery, launched by the FBU late last year, gives supporters the opportunity to win cash prizes and raise money for worthy causes.
Andrew, who is still being treated at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, said the support he has received from those within and outside of the fire service has been phenomenal.
"I want to thank everyone for their support - my family and my colleagues, and people from all over the country,” he said.
“All of that support combined has given me the motivation to keep going. The fire service is like a family. We are always there for each other."
Commenting on the January fundraising effort Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said:
“Andy served his community with dedication and bravery for over 25 years and now he needs our help.
"We take care of our own in the fire service. I have no doubt the firefighting community will rally around him.”
Andrew joined the service in 1989 as a retained firefighter in Greenock and became a wholetime firefighter in 1992. He was soon promoted to crew manager in Ardrossan then watch manager at Port Glasgow.
At the time of the incident, he was a watch commander at Greenock where his career first began more than a quarter century before.
- Sign up to the Firefighters 100 Lottery here.
- Additionally, you can donate directly to Andrew’s fund via a website set up by his family at andyadamsfund.com
Read the all members circular on the January appeal for Andrew Adams here.
