My big head shave for Chris’s journey to recovery

Hello! Most of you will know who I am.. for those of you who don’t I’m Cassie 41 and a mum of three. I have had my best friend Vikki since I was barely 5. Her and her family have been part of me and my life for the best part of 36 years. Watching each other and siblings grow up, raise family’s,holidays and trips together, kids birthday party’s, our own birthdays, family party’s and most importantly all the ups and downs that come with amazing friendships. We also sometimes have to deal with situations we would never expect to have to face…

Chris, Vikkis amazing brother a fit and healthy 39 yr old, at the end of July 2023 heartbreakingly suffered a major brain bleed and subarachnoid haemorrhage. Chris was rushed to hospital and spent 2 weeks on a ventilator in ICU at John Radcliffe hospital, he underwent numerous life saving brain surgeries.

It took 5 weeks for a bed to become available to repatriate him to London then a further 6 weeks for a bed to become available in a specialist neuro rehab center. Due to immense pressure with staff shortages and lack of funding the team at the NHS specialist rehab centre were so stretched (15 patients to 1 therapist when it should be 5:1); this meant Chris didn't get the amount of rehab he needs. Therefore, Vikki Abby and Chris’s friends have been raising money to move him to a private facility to give him the best chance at getting as much of himself as he was before this nightmare back.

He will need another surgery soon to fit a plate where part of his scull is missing. He will also need a vitrectomy to hopefully help his sight to return.

Chris is an absolute champ with a strong sound mind he is currently working through each day of recovery with determination and fight which can be tiring. Even tho he may appear to be champing recovery it’s not easy learning to walk, talk again and even get used to limited sight. It can take its toll physically and mentally so the sooner Chris can get intense rehab the better.

Intense rehab is the main chance he has to make any meaningful recovery, and be able to get back home to his family, Abby and his three girls aged 3,5 and 7. The road to recovery is going to be some journey. He has started this intensity and he is champing it so far. 

Im going to be raising funds for Chris Abby and their girls to be able to best support his road to recovery with additional medical care, private therapists and support them all for anything else that could make the worst situation even just a little bit easier for them all.

There has been incredible donations made to the go fund me page set up by Abby Vikki and Chris’s friends. I would love to be able to give that page another injection of funds.

Early April I will be shaving my hair off. Please help me help Chris and his family get back to some kind of normality sooner rather than later. Any donation however big or small will be greatly appreciated by not only me but so many others involved in Chris’s journey.

Thank you a million times over.