Jennifer's Journey to Walk Again

Aspiring competitive gymnast, Jennifer Smyth, from Eglinton in Northern Ireland, was seriously injured during practice in September 2013.  She broke her neck and crushed her spinal cord affecting all 4 limbs.  Since that life shattering day Jennifer has fought back against what she describes as "just another injury but one which will take a bit longer to recover from."  People with spinal injuries need exercise just as much as everyone else, if not more so, but unfortunately once discharged from hospital it is up to the individual to research and fund their own rehabilitation.  Thanks to the generosity of many, from organisations to individual people, Jennifer has been able to maintain a program to keep her in the best physical shape possible supporting her breathing, circulation, bone density, muscles and tone. It also has a beneficial effect on her state of mind. She is still a gymnast, an athlete who is persuing her goals. When, not if, a cure is found for paralysis, Jennifer will be ready. But paying for regular access to specialist equipment and physiotherapists is expensive.  One hour in an Ekso skeleton walking frame at a hospital facility costs £100 and an hour with a neuro phsyio is £85. Bioness electrical stimulation equipment costs around £20 000 and if she were to buy an Eksoskeleton for her own personal use it would cost upwards of £100 000! All donations to Jennifer's funds will be used for her regular physio with savings going towards buying personal equipment.  All progress is published on Jennifer's Facebook page, Jennifer's Journey. Jennifer is determined to walk again but also determined to get the most out of her life. She is studying Product Design at Birmingham City University and hopes to be involved in the design of equipment to help people with physical disabilities. There are an estimated 40,000 people in the UK living with a spinal cord injury and every eight hours, someone’s life will change forever in the UK because of a spinal cord injury.  Around the world, between 250 000 and 500 000 people suffer a spinal cord injury every year.
Jennifer, her family and friends are already humbled and amazed at the level of support she has had to date. To ensure she is able to continue with her recovery we would be eternally grateful to anyone who fundraises for her or makes a donation through this GoFundMe website.  No amount is too small, it all adds up. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts x