THE sole survivor of a crash that killed four of his friends is giving his backing to our Gift Of Life campaign.

The Oxford Mail has teamed up with the National Blood Service and launched a campaign to sign up 1,000 new blood donors to help stock up on vital supplies before winter hits.

Rugby player Matt Simpson, of Montgomery Road, Caversfield, near Bicester, spent five weeks fighting for his life in Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after being critically injured in the crash on the A422 at Westbury, between Brackley and Buckingham, in June of last year.

Four close friends – Kirk Nokes, Ed Manders-Naden, James Bowyer and Lee Grimshaw – were killed.

During Mr Simpson’s own battle to survive the tragedy he needed about 12 pints of blood. He had two operations, each lasting 12 hours.

The 19-year-old can barely recall anything from the crash, in which he broke both his legs, his pelvis and his neck. However, he learned later how much surgery, and blood, he’d needed.

He said: “I don’t remember any of the accident. The next thing I do remember is being in wheelchair in the hospital.

“But obviously, from my personal experience, I know how important it is to give blood, and what it can do.”

A fundraising rugby match in honour of Kirk Nokes is taking place at Bicester Rugby Club on Saturday, starting at 12.30pm.

Money raised will be split between the National Blood Service, the county’s air ambulance, and the Kirk Nokes Memorial Fund.

Because he has received a transfusion himself, Mr Simpson cannot give blood under NBS rules, but while he was in hospital, his family organised a blood drive to get as any people as possible to donate.

Mr Simpson said: “I am backing the campaign because, without those tranfusions, I wouldn’t be here. It’s a strange feeling.

“I feel like I want to go and say thank you to the people whose blood I got, but obviously, I don’t know who they are.

“So alI can do is just say thank you to everyone who has ever given blood. They saved my life.”

To sign up to become a donor, fill in the form on the related link and send it in.