On 11th July 2025, our dad Aaron, suffered a life-changing accident while on holiday in Greece.

He broke his neck (C5–C6) and sustained a serious spinal cord injury.

He spent six weeks in intensive care at St Luke’s Clinic in Greece before being transferred back to Belfast, where he spent a further 13 weeks in the Royal Victoria Hospital. He is now receiving daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy at Musgrave Park Hospital. We are hopeful he will be able to return home towards the end of February.

This is something none of us could ever have prepared for or imagined. Life has changed completely, but throughout everything, our dad’s strength, positivity, and determination have been nothing short of incredible. His mindset inspires us every single day, and we are so beyond proud of him.

A spinal cord injury of this nature causes significant nerve damage, and at present, movement in the lower half of his body remains uncertain. As well as this, it caused loss of control/movement in his arms & hands & fingers effecting his fine motor skills which he’s working on daily to try & regain his strength,movement & control. While the road ahead is long, we have been researching every possible option to support his recovery. We have discovered advanced treatments, including stem cell therapy available in specialist clinics abroad, which promotes nerve regeneration & has shown promising results for patients with similar injuries. Aswell as intense rehabilitation centres such as STEPs Sheffield which offers rehabilitation for patients who have suffered spinal cord injury’s & allows them to work with advanced technology & robotics to promote recovery.

Asking for help like this does not come easily to us. However, anyone who knows our dad will know that he is always the first person to help others, whether that’s offering his time, support, or donating to those in need. Our family has done all we can & with not qualifying for any grants to help with any funding costs for any home adaptions, wheelchair costs etc, we feel this is the next step to take. 

Our goal is to raise funds to give our dad access to the best possible treatment and rehabilitation available, giving him every chance to improve his quality of life and recovery. 

The cost of these treatments is extremely high, which is why we are unable to set a final fundraising target at this stage. To give some perspective, one stem cell treatment combined with three months of rehabilitation in Greece can cost approximately £52,000. In addition to this, significant home adaptations will be required to ensure our daddy can live comfortably and safely at home. What we do know is that every donation, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to giving our dad the opportunities he deserves.

We will also be hosting fundraising events over the coming months to help boost funds and keep everyone updated on his progress.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting us in any way. ❤️‍