About Us - Trust PA Spinal Injury Charity UK

Funding treatments to end paralysis...

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About Trust PA - Spinal Repair

Simply put – Trust PA Spinal Repair is a UK Registered Charity No. 1093038 raising funds to help end the permanence of spinal cord injury paralysis (paralysis from a broken neck or back).

The Trust PA Mission Statement
Helping spinally injured people by funding scientific/clinical work to relieve their difficulties & aid their recovery. We do this by helping to fund the vital pre-clinical studies which are the gateway to new ground breaking treatments. These are in the process of being designed, developed and tested to end the permanence of paralysis from a broken neck or back know as spinal cord injury (SCI). We do this in memory of Paul-André Blundell (known to all his friends as P-A).

FIND INFO ABOUT - Paul-André Blundell (P-A) Click - HERE

Our Current Focus
Trust PA is working in memory of Paul-André Blundell (P-A) to help fund the process of converting and testing ground breaking laboratory science into real clinical treatments for the repair of spinal cord injury (SCI) paralysis. Over the coming years this will help to improve the sensation and movement for SCI paralysed men, women and children in NHS Hospitals.

Briefly what we do:
We raise funds by any possible, innovative, legal means with help from our many friends and supporters. We have no employees or paid staff, we even fund many basic admin costs ourselves as this enables almost all money donated to go directly towards funding this vitally important work.

FACTS about Spinal Cord Injury Paralysis:

Did you know that… ?

Every 6-8hours, 3-4 people in the UK become permanently paralysed as a result of a broken neck or back accident, commonly known as spinal cord injury (SCI). This leaves them permanently paralysed and disabled, dependant on third party help & a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. With current care that can be a normal full term life expectancy.

All SCI are caused during normal daily activities like driving cars or bikes, which incidentally causes 50% of all injuries. The rest happen during normal life activities like; at work, construction, DIY, sport & recreation, plus also the armed services.

The most shocking fact is that the average age of people injured is just 19 years - 78% of these are male. So mostly fathers, sons, brothers, grandsons…not forgetting mothers, daughters, and sisters etc. especially as gender equality progresses……

In the UK (worldwide) there is a huge hidden population of injured and paralysed people managing their lives. Due to lack of mobility problems, injured people are often not evident in everyday society but are just like you and me, capable, intelligent, normal people who are physically impaired by paralysis but quietly making the best of their lives.

Spinal cord injury is a truly devastating injury that affects not only the person physically but mentally & includes their whole family and circle of friends.

Spinal cord injury isn’t just about paralysed arms and legs. It also affects physical health, sensation, breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, temperature control, bladder & bowel function/management as well as sexual function. This condition gives rise to considerably raised health risks like; chest infections, lack of mobility issues including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pressure sores to name but a few. Mental health and depression can be a huge factor.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Paralysis Facts

1. Accidents result in SCI Paralysis every 6-8 hours in UK - that is 3-4 more injured paralysed people every day.

2. Average age: just 19 years.

3. 50% of accidents involve vehicles - Cars, vans, busses, bikes or motorcycles, either in, on or hit by.

4. 78% are male, but of late more females are involved in risky activities such as the military, engineering etc.

5. A Huge UK population of SCI people are unseen due to their lack of mobility.

6. The effects include: Health risks, care dependency & life risks; DVT etc.

7. Affects the whole family & friends.

Why is this work important?
The bad news - Today four more people will be admitted to hospital here in the UK with a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis. Tragically the same will happen tomorrow & the day after ongoing! That means they will spend the rest of life paralysed and dependant on daily help while restricted to a wheelchair. They will be vulnerable to pressure sores, chest infections and a whole host of other problems and difficulties. Half of these accidents occur while motoring and what's so very tragic, the average age of the injured people is just 19 years, with three quarters of victimes being male.

Please just think about this for a moment...

Spinal cord injury is a truly devastating injury that affects not only the person but their whole family and circle of friends. In the UK there is a hidden population of 40-50,000 injured and paralysed people. Due to mobility and other problems they are often not evident in everyday society but they are 100% normal people just like you and me. Bright, intelligent and normal people but paralysed and quietly making the best of their lives.

The point is:
Unfortunately we can't stop accidents happening but we can help to fund a better future with exciting possibilities!

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BUT WE CAN MAKE RUGBY SAFER by Training & playing Trust PA - EYES UP rugby!

After losing PA I always wondered what had caused him to bacame so devastatingly injured & totally paralysed that he could not even breathe for himself?

To view Please - CLICK HERE

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Charitable Status

Trust PA was set up and registered with the UK Charity Commission Accepted on 19th July 2002 - Trust PA Registered Charity No. 1093038.

In the beginning
The Charity Trust PA was set up in memory of Paul-André Blundell (known to his friends as P-A). Paul-André was born and lived in Cardiff and was a keen all round sportsman including rugby, cricket, golf, athletics, running and motor sports. He played rugby for the Welsh Youth under 19`s team. After graduating from UWIC Cardiff and then moved to Bath working as a successful Community Specialist for Pharmacia. P-A was a talented rugby centre playing for Keynsham RFC until his tragic accident in September 2001 when he sustained a spinal cord injury during a tackle that left him almost instantly paralysed from the chin down and only able to breathe using a ventilator. Being a focussed individual, P-A was making excellent progress in the spinal rehabilitation unit and even making it into a wheelchair. Tragically, he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in January 2002, aged just 26yrs, from a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung). While Paul-André was in hospital, friends and colleagues started to raise money for his ongoing care. As a fully ventilated tetraplegic like Christopher Reeve, he would have needed a team of eight carers on a full time rota (at a cost of approx. £18,000 per month in 2002). When he died, (which is rare for this injury) it was decided to continue raising funds in P-A’s memory to enable a better future to help future spinal cord injured (SCI) people regain movement & sensation.

Please consider these points:
The horrifying fact is that spinal cord injury can happen to anyone very easily, when involved in normal everyday activities. These include such things as working, driving, motor/cycling and recreation when competing/enjoying sports like rugby, horse riding or swimming. Even simple trips and falls which happen often and very simply, can result in spinal injury. Sadly every day in the UK another FOUR men, women or children are involved in accidents which result in a paralysing spinal cord injury - that is 28 a week, and over 100 a month with an average age of just 19 years - paralysed for life.

The good news is that Trust PA is working to change this because Paul-André had wanted to be involved in the trials himself. Current ground-breaking work by UK Prof Geoffery Raisman FRC UCL will lead to safe treatments being made available in NHS Hospitals to repair the damage in a matter of years so long as we can continue the funding.

Prof Geoffery Raisman FRC UCL

Repair will improve the lives of many thousands of paralysed people by improving their mobility and sensation. The result from this work will also lead to solutions to fix; Nerve Blindness, Nerve Deafness, Alzheimer's, Stroke and Parkinson's.

To learn more about the science & progress please: CLICK HERE

To achieve this either we or our friends and supporters together, raise funds by running charity events including; golf tournaments, choir concerts, rugby, golf etc. We also welcome personal and corporate donations, legacies and grants, plus any positive help via personally organised fundraising initiatives. These often include marathons, bike rides, expeditions, physical challenges, car washes or just tea or coffee gatherings etc. We have lots of fundraising ideas which you can view by clicking on - How to Help.

Useful Information

Our work is guided & monitored by a group of Trustees to ensure a positive beneficial progress for Charity Trust PA Spinal Injury to achieve its stated charitable aims & objectives.

Trust PA is very pleased to have support from:-

HONORARY PRESIDENT - Sir Christian Bonington Explorer & Mountaineer

Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL is a British mountaineer.

Sir Christian's career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest and the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna. Sir Chris links: His Website Home Page click HERE or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Bonington

PATRONS

All personal friends of Paul-André (P-A)
Matthew Rhys Actor

Ioan Gruffudd Actor

Neil Jackson Actor

Matthew - P-A was a lifelong close friend of Matthew through school, Cubs, Scouts, football & many other activities throughout their growing years into adult life, linking up whenever they could. Matthew is known for many film, TV & Radio roles including; The Graduate (Drury Lane) the TV show series Brothers & Sisters, Under Milk Wood, Burnt & The Americans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Rhys

Paul-André was at nursery and primary school with both Ioan and Matthew. He played rugby in the school team with Ioan (a year older) at age 8yrs. Ioan is well known for many roles, including; Titanic, Hornblower, 102 Dalmatians, Mr Fantastic, in Marvel Comic - The Fantastic4.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioan_Gruffudd

Neil Jackson was at University in Cardiff with P-A both as members of the University Boxing Club and sharing a student house with five others. He has played many roles incl: Marcus Van Sciver the TV show villain "Blade" – baddie/ Mr Slate in the Bond film "Quantum of Solace" plus films & TV like; Stargate Atlantis, The Scarlet Pimpernel & Harry Spargo, in BBCTV "Upstairs, Downstairs".

http://www.neiljackson.me/

SUPPORTERS

Many people have helped us to raise money both in the UK & abroad

Click HERE to see a few of our star helpers and supporters that we value so much!

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