Hi everyone,

My name's Tom, and I'm setting up this fundraiser for one of my closest friends, Harrison Moore.

I've known Harry for nearly 13 years. We spent a lot of time together studying at university, hanging out, laughing, arguing, laughing some more, and most recently working together in the live music industry. He's one of the hardest-working people I know, but unfortunately he's had an incredibly unlucky turn of events.

Just six weeks ago, while on tour in Europe, Harry suffered a devastating knee injury, completely rupturing his patellar tendon (the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shin). After returning to the UK, the injury was initially misdiagnosed through the NHS, delaying the treatment he urgently needed. With an uncertain wait for NHS surgery and no guarantee it wouldn't be further delayed, he made the decision to go private, bringing his surgery date forward significantly. By doing so, he's given himself the best possible chance of making a full recovery and hopefully avoiding further complications.

Although going private has increased Harry's chances of making a full recovery, it has already cost him £12,000, and that figure will only increase once he begins physiotherapy. On top of this, as he's self-employed, Harry expects to lose around £20,000 in income while he's unable to work for three to four months. This could take longer due to the physicality needed for his touring work and the time it will take to get back to full strength.

We’ve set a target of £18,000 to help towards his remaining medical expenses, rehabilitation, room and studio rental costs in London, and essential living expenses while he recovers.

The Full Story

Everything changed in a matter of seconds.

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Harry was on tour with Ben Howard and before the tour bus left Berlin for the next show in Hamburg, the band and crew thought a kick-about would be a nice way to pass the time. Along the industrial parking area they were playing in was a tram track, and, although Harry was completely embroiled by the joys of running around, he failed to avoid the tram track. As his foot caught, the rest of his body continued, twisted, and POP! He completely ruptured his patellar tendon.

An ambulance was called and, when it arrived, Harry was given ketamine while the paramedics repeatedly attempted to relocate what they believed was a dislocated knee. When those attempts failed, it became clear the injury was more serious, and he was taken to hospital in Berlin. X-rays and a physical examination led the doctors to suspect a patellar tendon rupture, but they couldn't confirm it without an MRI scan. The following day, Harry had to leave the tour and return home to the UK for treatment.

Upon arriving back in the UK, he went straight to A&E, explained exactly what had happened, and relayed what the doctors in Berlin suspected. Despite this, his injury was diagnosed as a dislocated knee rather than a ruptured patellar tendon, and he was sent home.

Over the following days, Harry tried unsuccessfully to obtain an appointment with an NHS specialist or even a timeline for surgery. With every day that passed, concerns grew that the delay could affect both his recovery and his ability to return to work.

He made the decision to pay for a private consultation with a specialist knee surgeon, along with an MRI scan. The scan confirmed a complete patellar tendon rupture, and the surgeon explained that "ideally this type of injury should be operated on within 48 hours to give the best chance of recovery." By then, almost two weeks had already passed.

Armed with the correct diagnosis, Harry returned to the NHS hoping his surgery could be fast-tracked, but an operation still couldn't be scheduled, and the earliest update wouldn't be for another two weeks.

As there's no sick pay for self-employed people, Harry had to choose between waiting indefinitely for NHS treatment or funding the operation himself. Waiting any longer risked both his recovery and his livelihood, so he made the incredibly difficult decision to pay for the surgery privately.

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Harry's surgery eventually took place several weeks after the injury occurred, but the damage turned out to be even worse than expected. Rather than being a straightforward, clean rupture, the surgeon explained that the tendon had "shredded through the middle," making the operation far more complex.

Now, four weeks into his recovery, everything is thankfully progressing well. However, because of the complexity of the operation, his leg has had to remain completely straight in a splint for the first eight weeks. Had the rupture been clean, he would have been given an adjustable brace to gradually introduce movement much sooner.

He’s only recently been able to get out of bed regularly and still has another four to five weeks before the splint can come off and rehabilitation can properly begin. Because he hasn’t been able to introduce any movement or flexibility into the leg during this period, his rehabilitation is expected to take longer and be considerably more demanding.

Overall, Harry’s recovery is expected to take around three to four months. If everything goes to plan, his surgeon believes he may be able to return to work in September, albeit cautiously. Even then, he’ll need to rebuild his strength gradually and take great care not to cause further damage.

June to August is typically the busiest period for people working in the live music industry, so missing the entire summer season has had a huge impact on Harry, both professionally and financially.

Thankfully, the Ben Howard tour who Harry was with when the injury happened very generously offered to pay his full tour fee. Harry has specifically asked me to express a huge thank you to everyone involved. Despite him having to leave the tour early, they went above and beyond to support him, and their generosity has already covered around £5,000 of his medical costs. It's something he's immensely grateful for.

The fundraiser target is £18,000. While this won't cover the full financial impact of the injury, Harry felt it was a realistic amount that would make an enormous difference by helping towards his recovery while allowing him to continue meeting his financial commitments.

Anyone who knows Harry knows he'd much rather be working than asking for help. When I suggested setting up a GoFundMe, he was very hesitant, which is why I've created this page on his behalf.

If you're able to donate, no matter how much, it would mean the world. If you're unable to donate, simply sharing this page is just as appreciated and will help us reach more people.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Harry's story and for any support you can give. Every donation, message, and share will help ease some of the financial pressure, allowing Harry to focus on making the best possible recovery and, hopefully, getting back on the road doing what he loves.