Healthy dad-of-two left with ’15 second memory’ after sudden brain haemorrhage

A healthy dad-of-two has been left with a “15 second memory” after suffering a sudden brain haemorrhage in front of his partner at home.

Former soldier Chris Hyland, 38, was rushed to hospital after getting a bleed on the brain just two days before Christmas in 2019.

He has been left needing open brain surgery after collapsing in a seizure while his girlfriend Claire rang an ambulance.

The former army officer, who is a dad to five-year-old Grace and two-year-old Jake, has had his short-term memory all but destroyed as a result of his illness.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Chris’ partner Claire said: “He is way off able to do any work again. He is having therapy down here still and will be for quite a long time. It’s just very hard work.

“Having to look after two children and Chris who has a memory of between 15 seconds to a day is really hard work.

“He’s got to have open brain surgery where they remove part of the skull to go into the brain and that’s going to be in January.”

If you want to help raise money for the family you can visit their GoFundMe page here

The couple used to share a home in Watford but the tragic illness has since forced them to live apart as Chris moves between hospitals for treatment.

The electrician spent a year being transferred from one facility to another before ending up with his parents in Woolton, Liverpool, as part of his recovery plan.

With Chris left unable to work as a result of his illness and long recovery, a close friend from his time in the forces set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for the family.

Chris served as a sniper on multiple tours of Afghanistan, and his friend Andrew Holcroft said: “We did our first seven month tour out in Afghanistan, protecting Camp Bastion, protecting the flight path for planes to come in and out.

“We did a lot on the emergency medical response team, just flying in with five minutes notice to move, picking up casualties.

“We’d get them on the helicopter, treat them, pack wounds, get blood into them and fly them back to Bastion and then hand them over to the hospital. Our main role on there was the protection of the helicopter when it landed. Sometimes you’d land in a firefight.”

The GoFundMe page has raised nearly £25,000, with people from all over the world donating to help Chris and his family.

A group of comrades from the RAF have now taken it upon themselves to raise the remainder of the £25,000.

Andrew said: “It’s a testament to the [RAF] regiment the way they are looking out for their own, word of mouth and the type of lad Chris is shows what sort of lads these are.

“I don’t know these lads either and they just messaged me out the blue saying they wanted to do something to try and get Chris over my target of £25,000 and they’ve gone over that now.

“They just want to push it as far as they can, and Chris’s story has touched them. It’s brilliant and they seem like a quality bunch of people.”