PLEASE HELP GET RICHARD HOME

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PLEASE HELP GET RICHARD HOME

Hello, I’m Wendy… mother to 29 year old Richard.

We both work for DHL Supply Chain, Healthcare in Banbury. I have 25 years’ service in admin & reception and Richard joined our transport department as an HGV class 1 driver 18 months ago. We both love our jobs and the company. Richard spent most of his spare time at the gym weight training which he loved. Sadly in May he was riding his motor bike when a careless car driver pulled across his path without looking and Richard's planned future was ripped away from him. His back was broken, his left forearm crushed, 3 broken ribs and punctured a lung. It pains me greatly to say that he is now paralysed from the diaphragm down along with lost bowel or bladder control. The level of his injury affects his heart rate and body temperature and these additional medical conditions leave him vulnerable to Autonomic Dysreflexia… a life threatening emergency caused by stimulus below his level of injury that can no longer communicate with the brain. Hay fever or a common cold causing him to sneeze or cough would require medical intervention as he no longer has core strength. Any hopes he had to naturally father children are lost… costly IVF would be the only option and doesn’t always work.

Recently transferred to Stoke Mandeville hospital Richard is going through rehabilitation and preparing for life in a wheelchair, but our home is old and has no access for a wheelchair or other equipment that he will need. I’ve reached out to an interior designer with specialist knowledge, but the cost will be far more than I have and I’m too close to retirement for huge loans.

My appeal is to raise funds towards two things.

Firstly… to have the necessary adaptations made to our home so that when Richard is ready to be discharged from hospital he can return home to Middleton Cheney, Banbury where he’s lived from birth. He’ll need a wet room with turning space for a wheelchair, doorways widening, hard flooring throughout the ground floor. On top of this he’ll need hoists (so reinforced ceilings), specialised bed and many add on equipment to make his life more bearable and achieve a better level of independence… we’re still only scratching the surface and unsure of his future needs. It would massively lift his spirits to know he’d be able to return to his own home after all he’s been through.

Secondly… funding to seek more specialised, intensive physiotherapy that is not available through the NHS which will further support his ongoing wellbeing once he leaves hospital.

It would be wonderful of people to support my appeal, I’d be grateful for any morsal of help right now. Thank you for reading and please, please consider a donation… £1, £5, £10 or whatever you can spare.

Wendy Wadeson