Josie's London Marathon Fundraising Page for BackUp
Josie's London Marathon Fundraising Page for BackUp
My Story
Tom’s life is full of adventure; Skiing in Sweden in the winters, going to music festivals and travelling. Tom is also tetraplegic.
On the 3rd of April 2007, our family’s life changed. Tom, who was 22 at the time, had been in a snowboarding accident. After a period of uncertainty, and some touch & go moments, we learnt Tom had broken his spinal cord.
Tom would never walk again.
Every 4 hours someone is told that they will never walk again. Spinal cord injury is permanent. There is no cure.
BackUp is a UK national charity that helps people of all ages and backgrounds to rebuild their confidence and independence following a devastating injury.
In the period that followed Tom’s accident, BackUp was there for support. They took Tom skiing in Sweden where he was surrounded by others with spinal cord injuries. It gave Tom an opportunity to push outside of his comfort zone, experiencing activities he didn’t think possible.
It has been 16 years since Tom’s accident. Tom lives life to the fullest, for us his injury feels like a minor detail about his exciting life.
He’s travelled across the globe, went to countless music festivals and got back into the snow sports he loved. He’s a skilled software engineer, working on interesting and complex computer software, creating code through speech.
Tom is also a mentor to others with spinal cord injuries, guiding them through one of the toughest periods in their life.
To us, Tom remains a wonderful and caring brother. Since his accident, he has also taken up the roles of husband and dad.
I’m running the London Marathon to fundraise for BackUp, to support their effort in helping other individuals, and their families, when they face a spinal cord injury.
Thank you for taking the time to read my page. If you would like to support my marathon journey please read more about BackUp and the work they do here: https://www.backuptrust.org.uk/
If you would like to donate to my fundraiser - an additional thank you! Any funds make a difference, I appreciate your contribution.
Your funds could help will the following:
- Training a mentor to support someone to overcome challenges and lead a fulfilling life. BackUp matches people with a spinal cord injury and their loved ones with mentors who have been through similar experiences and can understand. Mentors listen, advise and support positive life changes.
- Talking through issues with someone who has “been there” can make coming to terms with one’s own situation more manageable, and the service can be a vital lifeline for people during their darkest hours.
- Training a volunteer wheelchair skills trainer to teach others to overcome their fears and tackle everyday obstacles, enabling them to get out and about in their wheelchair and live their life.
More about Tom & Ellen
Warning: This video contains a description of a spinal cord accident & hospital images, which may not be suitable for all audiences.
-
Target
£2,500
-
Raised so far
£2,500
-
Number of donors
66
My Story
Tom’s life is full of adventure; Skiing in Sweden in the winters, going to music festivals and travelling. Tom is also tetraplegic.
On the 3rd of April 2007, our family’s life changed. Tom, who was 22 at the time, had been in a snowboarding accident. After a period of uncertainty, and some touch & go moments, we learnt Tom had broken his spinal cord.
Tom would never walk again.
Every 4 hours someone is told that they will never walk again. Spinal cord injury is permanent. There is no cure.
BackUp is a UK national charity that helps people of all ages and backgrounds to rebuild their confidence and independence following a devastating injury.
In the period that followed Tom’s accident, BackUp was there for support. They took Tom skiing in Sweden where he was surrounded by others with spinal cord injuries. It gave Tom an opportunity to push outside of his comfort zone, experiencing activities he didn’t think possible.
It has been 16 years since Tom’s accident. Tom lives life to the fullest, for us his injury feels like a minor detail about his exciting life.
He’s travelled across the globe, went to countless music festivals and got back into the snow sports he loved. He’s a skilled software engineer, working on interesting and complex computer software, creating code through speech.
Tom is also a mentor to others with spinal cord injuries, guiding them through one of the toughest periods in their life.
To us, Tom remains a wonderful and caring brother. Since his accident, he has also taken up the roles of husband and dad.
I’m running the London Marathon to fundraise for BackUp, to support their effort in helping other individuals, and their families, when they face a spinal cord injury.
Thank you for taking the time to read my page. If you would like to support my marathon journey please read more about BackUp and the work they do here: https://www.backuptrust.org.uk/
If you would like to donate to my fundraiser - an additional thank you! Any funds make a difference, I appreciate your contribution.
Your funds could help will the following:
- Training a mentor to support someone to overcome challenges and lead a fulfilling life. BackUp matches people with a spinal cord injury and their loved ones with mentors who have been through similar experiences and can understand. Mentors listen, advise and support positive life changes.
- Talking through issues with someone who has “been there” can make coming to terms with one’s own situation more manageable, and the service can be a vital lifeline for people during their darkest hours.
- Training a volunteer wheelchair skills trainer to teach others to overcome their fears and tackle everyday obstacles, enabling them to get out and about in their wheelchair and live their life.
More about Tom & Ellen
Warning: This video contains a description of a spinal cord accident & hospital images, which may not be suitable for all audiences.
