THE wife of a former businessman left severely brain damaged has spoken of the "light at the end of the tunnel" after her fight for damages was finally settled.
It follows a £2.35m settlement announced last Wednesday in the High Court, after Charles Organ was left unable to walk, talk, eat or drink when hospital treatment went badly wrong.
Mr Organ suffered a head injury after falling from his bike during the London to Brighton cycle ride five years ago.
When he was treated at Charing Cross Hospital he suffered a massive brain haemorrhage, after which he was wrongly given anti-coagulants to thin his blood.
The Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust apologised for its failings – and also agreed £300,000 in annual payments to help fund Mr Organ's day-to-day care.
Speaking at the couple's home in Netherne-on-the-Hill, his wife, Susan, 59, told the Mirror: "I'm relieved more than pleased that it's all over because it has been a long fight to get to this stage.
"Although there is a slight feeling of light at the end of the tunnel, it is a kind of hollow victory.
"No amount of compensation will replace or repair Charles and what has happened to him."
Now 62, Mr Organ formerly ran Simsons Fisheries in Coulsdon, and was an enthusiastic vice-president of Chipstead Rugby Club. The couple were married in 2001 at their favourite restaurant – La Bonne Auberge in Godstone.
After the accident, Sue and others founded the Brain Injury Group, a support network for those who have loved ones stricken by brain injuries.
She hopes they can move to an adapted house, possibly near Guildford, with a hydrotherapy pool.
To find out more about the Brain Injury Group, visit www.braininjurygroup.org.uk