Gary’s story

A spinal injury is something that happens to somebody else… but then it happened to me, and my life, and that of my family, changed completely.

In 2003 I was on a family cycling holiday with my wife and two daughters. Two days in and a fall from my bike left me with a high spinal injury. As a result I became a tetraplegic with very limited use of my legs, arms and hands.

I spent five months in the Spinal Centre where the specialist staff helped me and my family to come to terms with a very different way of life. I was given incredible support by staff at the unit, my family, and also my employer, Renishaw PLC, who fundraised to provide equipment and to make home alterations. Such financial assistance has helped me enormously.

We now enjoy travelling in our motor home which has been adapted for my needs and I am able to use a mobility scooter for countryside walks. Life goes on – living with a spinal injury can be challenging for both the victim and their family but with the right resources it can be made a lot easier. The resources that SSIT provide can make all the difference to an individual’s quality of life.

Lucy’s story

I was 21, newly graduated from university and armed with my first pay packet, when I bought myself a motorbike. Within days I had an accident and as a result was left paraplegic. My legs will never work again but I do have full upper body movement.

I had ten months of rehabilitation in the spinal unit and was discharged determined to get on with the rest of my life. As a child I had played competitive badminton and while in the Spinal Centre, I was introduced to wheelchair tennis – a sport which I have grown to love and which has become a major part in my life.

I look at my accident in two ways. Firstly that it was a tragic event, but also that it gave my life a new direction. I consider myself fortunate to have benefited from sponsorship which has allowed me to lead a good quality of life and to pursue my interests. Without it, my life would have been very different. Competing at wheelchair tennis has helped me accept my paralysis and made me realise how lucky I am. It has kept me healthy both physically and mentally and has allowed me to continue to love life.