Hi, my name is Sarah Nicollier and many of you have heard about my friend’s accident through my instagram. Seven weeks ago, our dear Jens was involved in a terrible bicycle accident that changed his and his family’s life in an instant.

Jens is currently paralysed from the chest down after major spinal surgery and is still in hospital in Faro Portugal awaiting a place in a rehabilitation centre. His fingers and hand movements are also restricted which make things extremely difficult.

I have honestly struggled to find the words to write this because Jens and his wife Louise are not just friends to me. Since moving to Portugal, they have become family. They are our direct neighbours, our closest friends, and some of the kindest, most generous people I know. Together they are raising two incredible teenage boys here in the Algarve.

Anyone who knows Jens also knows that he is just the most incredible human being and we are all so devastated. He is such a strong mind and inspires man of us.

The last seven weeks have been filled with shock, fear, hospital visits, difficult conversations, uncertainty, and the heartbreaking reality of what life now looks like for Jens and the people who love him most.

So many people have reached out asking how they can help. With Jens and Louise’s blessing, I have created this fundraiser to help support them through the unimaginable road ahead.

Right now, there are still so many unknowns. What we do know is that the coming months and years will bring enormous emotional, physical, and financial challenges. The funds raised will go towards rehabilitation, medical expenses, loss of income, future home adaptations, mobility needs, and helping give this beautiful family some stability as they try to navigate a completely new reality.

More than anything, I want to try and relieve even a small part of the pressure they are carrying right now.

If you are able to donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And if you cannot, sharing this page would mean just as much. Please know that all donations will be going directly to Jens and his family and that I have made sure that this a safe place to help.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Love, Sarah Nicollier