'We are focussing on the run and getting back to a new normality' - brother of hero crash victim Harrison Bretherton

Trafford Bretherton, 25, from Lytham St Annes, lost his brother Harrison in September after he suffered serious injuries in a collision on Blackpool Road when a Toyota Landcruiser left the carriageway and went down an embankment. He sadly died at Royal Preston Hospital the next day.

Trafford, who is a network engineer at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, says the family are getting through the painful void in their lives by keeping busy, reading the many lovely tributes people have left and focussing on a 22 mile run which has been organised for next year on what would have been a trip away to Las Vegas for Harrison and his best friend Harry Redman.

Explaining how the idea for the fundraiser came to fruition, Trafford said: “Harrison’s best friend Harry will be 21 next May; they had decided they wanted to celebrate it by travelling to Las Vegas.

"Because of what has happened, this is not possible anymore but Harry still wanted to include Harrison in his birthday plans and he proposed the idea to us of doing a 22 mile run on that day as Harrison would have been 22 by then but he never got to reach this.”

In Harrison’s memory - ‘Harrison’s 22nd Mile’ – will take place on May 25 next year. Harry, Harrison’s siblings – sister Nicholl, twin brother James and Trafford – and more friends and family along the way will be taking on this challenge to raise money for the nominated charities - Alder Hey Children's Hospital and The Fire Fighters Charity.

In March 2002 when Harrison was only three weeks old, he was admitted to Alder Hey after he stopped breathing where he spent the next 10 days fighting for his life on a ventilator. Despite only being given a 40 per cent chance of survival, thanks to the tireless efforts from all the doctors, nurses and all other staff he made a full miracle recovery.

The Fire Fighters Charity is also close to the family’s heart as when the accident happened the fire service were one of the first emergency service teams on the scene. They were able to free Harrison from the wreckage which then allowed the paramedics to treat him and get him on a ventilator which allowed family and friends to say a proper goodbye to him.

He was and is loved deeply by his parents Bryan and Kerry, his sister Nicoll, brothers Trafford and Byron and his twin brother James.

In a previous tribute his heartbroken family said that Harrison could only be described as ‘a beacon of light that would shine brightly even on the darkest of days’, and ‘a fun loving, sweet, cheeky, caring boy who left a mark on every person he met’.

Trafford added: "We are getting back to a new normality. Harrison was and will always be a hero to his family and friends.”

If you would like to make a donation to the fundraiser click HERE.

Police enquiries into the collision are still ongoing. If you can help, please call 101, quoting log 0003 of September 14 or email [email protected]