Documentary on the life and death of Stuart Mangan

The life of local rugby player, Stuart Mangan, is to be told in a BBC documentary, Ireland's Corkman newspaper reports.

Mangan, who played for Hammersmith and Fulham Rugby Football Club, died in August after being injured in a tragic accident.

The then-25-year-old broke his neck in April 2008 while playing for H&F RFC. The injury left him with no feeling below his neck, reliant on a ventilator and needing round-the-clock care.

After almost a year in hospital, Mangan moved into a specially adapted flat.

A film crew from the BBC 3 series Born Survivors followed Mangan's life after he left hospital. They filmed him as coped with the difficulties of his new life and as researchers from the Stuart Mangan Assisted Research Technology (SMART) team taught him to improve his speech using a computer.

Mangan, who was originally from Fermoy in County Cork, died last August after suffering from a chest infection. Following memorial masses in London and Dublin, his body was returned home for a funeral and burial.

Mangan's father Brian said he hoped viewers would find the BBC documentary on his son's life inspiring.  "I hope that it will give people facing seemingly impossible challenges the motivation to face them head on, as Stuart did," he told the Corkman.

"Through this programme people who never met Stuart will be inspired by his courage and dignity," he added.

The documentary will be broadcast on BBC 3 on Thursday 10 December.

November 29, 2009