Dad left with 'nightmare' hole in his leg that doctors can't heal

A dad was left with a hole in his leg after he developed a rare injury years after a being in a horrific car crash. Tom Moss, 31, suffered a shattered pelvis, lacerated bladder and urethra, and a broken left femur in the crash seven years ago.

He recovered and re-learned to walk but years later developed a "football sized" lump caused by trauma from the crash. He has undergone 10 surgeries - the latest last month - and has now been left with a permanent hole in his leg which doctors can't get to heal.

A Morel-Lavallee lesion happens when the skin and connective tissue separate from each other. This had then caused fluid to collect in the gap in Tom's thigh.

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The dad says his ordeal has been an "absolute nightmare" and has to use incontinence pads daily for his leaking wound. Tom, who owns a bakery company, from Chorley, Lancashire, said: "I'm currently left with a hole in my leg and it's bleeding. It's something I'm going to live with. It leaks through onto my clothing. It's been an absolute nightmare."

Tom was travelling in a car crash when it was hit by another vehicle on the driver's side in 2017. He spent eight months healing from his injuries. He said: "I was told I couldn't have kids but I had two. I had to learn to walk again."

Tom, who has a son, five, and daughter, six, managed to recover but at the end of 2021 he noticed a small lump on his right thigh. He said: "This tiny little lump appeared out of the blue one day. Doctors said it would disappear."

But over the year the lump continued to grow and he was finally given an ultrasound in September 2022 which revealed what was going on. Tom said: "It was the size of a football hanging off."

Doctors found a large "fluid pocket" and decided to operate to try and cut away at the dead skin and drain the fluid in September 2022. They left the wound open and Tom underwent a further nine surgeries to cut away at the skin and get rid of the fluid over the last two years. He also had a vacuum treatment for six months to try and suck the fluid out.

The 31-year-old said: "I spent months in hospital. I had multiple infections. I had sepsis two to three times." Tom had his last surgery in August 2024 to try and close the wound but doctors were not able to get it to heal and close completely.

He has now been told he will have the gap for the rest of his life. He added: "They said this is what you're left with. You're going to be left with a hole in your leg. They can't get it to heal and close. You can see the inside of my leg."

Tom has been told their is nothing more doctors can do and the wound now impacts his life as a dad. He said: "It's been heart-breaking. I can't get down on the floor as much as I'd like to. I can't play with the kids like I used to be able to. I can't kick a football anymore. I can't do much physical activity with them."

Tom is supported by his fiancée Meggan Boon, 27, who helps out with his business. He said: "Day to day life is a nightmare."