For 30 years, Terry Hill owned a successful roofing business and was able to travel the world. Now a debilitating condition has left him unable to work or leave the house
12:07, 11 Apr 2025Updated 12:07, 11 Apr 2025
A grandad who lost feeling in his feet has been left unable to walk due to a debilitating condition. Terry Hill, 59, was a roofer for more than 30 years and amassed nearly 100,000 followers on TikTok after going viral, though is no longer able to afford his bills or leave the house because of the condition of his legs.
For over 30 years, Terry owned a successful roofing business and his steady income allowed him to indulge in his greatest passion – travel. Every year, he’d take five or six holidays to Europe, and in December 2023 he went viral online after surprising his daughter while she was on holiday in Crete with her boyfriend and two children.
Just weeks later, in January 2024, Terry realised he could combine his TikTok account with his love for travelling so he booked a dream trip to Thailand. However, it was while on this trip in April that the Doncaster-based grandad began to notice that his legs were beginning to hurt.
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Not thinking too much of it, over the next few months Terry travelled to Egypt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Poland, and returned to Thailand twice, though in June 2024, he was told the arteries in his groin were blocked, likely caused by smoking. Terry quit and had seven stents put into his arteries to open them, bringing feeling back to his legs.
After that he continued travelling and, by January, he had nearly 100,000 followers. “I had the time of my life,” he said. “It was like I were famous. I will always remember it and I’ll be telling my kids and grandkids about it for the rest of my days.”
But in January, he was playing with his 12-year-old son in the snow when he realised he could not feel his feet again, even when touching a hot radiator. Three weeks later he underwent aorto-bifemoral bypass surgery at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, which replaced his blocked arteries with artificial tubes. “If I hadn’t had it, I would have died,” he explained.
Although Terry can feel his feet again, side-effects mean he is unable to walk more than five metres. He also has bowel issues which make going outside potentially difficult. Since January he has left the house just four times.
“For someone who loves travelling, it’s heartbreaking. I hate it, I feel so down. I’ve never struggled with mental health issues, but I can now understand why people do,” he said.
Unable to work as a roofer, and with no income from TikTok, Terry was left with an unpaid mortgage and bills and has claimed universal credit and applied for disability benefits, though these are not enough to cover his costs.
“I’ve gone from having the time of my life to not being able to pay my bills or leave the house,” he said. “I can’t face my followers because I can’t give them what they want. I physically can’t do it. It’s devastating and there’s nothing I can do.”
In what was a difficult decision, Terry set up a GoFundMe aiming to raise £5,000 for a mobility scooter. In the first week, he received a few donations, though is still short of his target.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who has donated, it really means a lot,” Terry said. “But it’s devastating that I don’t have enough. I’m gutted. I feel so helpless as there’s nothing I can do. I can’t face my followers. I can’t give them the travel content they want. I physically can’t do it. I don’t know what will happen next.”
To find out more about Terry’s GoFundMe page, visit ‘Famous TikToker Donny Knight Needs Your Help!’ on gofundme.com. To find him on TikTok, visit tiktok.com/@donny_knight
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