Crash survivor opens ‘dream’ aquatic shop in Moreton

Stephen Halsey, 38, who spent six years in a wheelchair thinking he would never walk again, has opened Wirral Aquatics in Moreton and says business has been “booming” since pursuing his childhood dream.

Based on Upton Road near Moreton Cross, Wirral Aquatics opened in September 2024 and features more than 100 tanks of tropical fish for sale.

Until now, the idea of Wirral Aquatics was purely a pipe dream for the father of two, following a horror car crash in 2016. The shocking crash caused him to lose sensation from his left hip down, with severe PTSD, and leaving him unsure if he’d ever walk again.

Stephen Halsey was told he'd never walk again (Image: Wirral Aquatics)

Stephen said: “After being told I’d probably never walk again, I made it my mission to prove the doctors wrong.

“My wife, her mother, friends, family and the NHS were all amazing and despite the PTSD and night terrors, I exercised every day and learnt to play wheelchair rugby — managing to play Internationally for Wales in the 2021 World Cup.

“I turned to my passion for tropical fish and during lockdown I amassed 100 tanks in our home based fish room. That project kept me going and got me through it all.”

It took a while for Stephen to adapt to his new restrictive way of life but sought help from his wife, a trained physio, and his mother-in-law, an occupational therapist.

Determined to walk again, he attempted to build back the muscle mass through exercises and a ‘hop and drag’ technique to re-train his muscle memory.

Stephen Halsey owner of Wirral Aquatics (Image: Wirral Aquatics)

After seven years of sustained effort, he was finally able to walk again.

Stephen said: “My love of fish started at an early age, as my father used to take me to different fish shops on Saturdays. I always had a tank growing up.

“Fish have always had a calming effect on me and have improved my mental health.

“This proved critical during my rehabilitation process following the crash which hugely helped with my PTSD and depression.”

Since taking his first proper steps again in January 2023, Stephen has developed a new appreciation for life — doing ‘firsts’ with his family such as walking in places he only ever visited in his wheelchair.

It was this new-found lust for life that prompted Stephen to pursue his childhood dream of opening his own tropical fish shop — turning his hobby at home into a business.

Stephen added: “Having your life turned upside down and being told you’ll probably never walk again, then finally defying the odds after seven years of persistence and sustained effort — it does something to you.

“I’ve always worked in care and have loved my job doing that but after gaining my life back I realised you only live once and decided to take the leap of faith by opening the shop.

“Opening Wirral Aquatics is a dream come true and the first couple of months have been overwhelmingly successful.

“We have a revolving range of beautiful fish and people have been travelling from far and wide as word has spread about us. We work ethically, supporting UK breeders who are also ethical.

“Every day is a gift and I’m so grateful for the support of our customers and the Moreton community.”