Friends rally round to help raise cash for mum and Sheffield physio left paralysed after horror crash
Friends rally round to help raise cash for mum left paralysed after horror crash
Friends of a Sheffield NHS physiotherapist paralysed below the neck in a horror car crash are rallying round to help pay for adaptations to her home which will finally allow her to leave hospital.
Val Jones helped “thousands” of patients working at Northern General Hospital’s physio department as an upper limb specialist during a career spanning 37 years.
However on June 6 last year she was in a serious road traffic collision in Penistone during which she sustained damage to her upper spinal cord.
The catastrophic crash left her in critical care for two months. She now requires permanent ventilation via a tracheostomy, as she is unable to breathe independently and is paralysed from the neck down.
Val remains in a spinal injuries unit for continued rehabilitation until her home is adapted for her ongoing needs.
The wife and mum estimates she will need between £200-£250k to cover the cost of essentials such as adapted doorways, ramps, hoists and specialist care, enabling her return home.
Several her friends are getting together to walk 32 miles along the Yorkshire coast from Runswick Bay to Scarborough North Bay over May 1 to May 3, in the hope of helping raise some cash towards the costs.
Speaking about her pals electing to do a coastal walk, reflecting her love of the sea, Val said: “I’ll never be able to walk again so it’s lovely that they’ll to be my legs, walking by the sea.
“I love the sea, it’s where I feel most at home and they will be be my eyes, sending me photos and videos.”
The walk has been dubbed the reiki ramble in as a nod to the Japanese healing healing treatment Val receives.
Speaking about it she said: “Every time I get reiki something new and positive happens. I harness that inner power.”
Val is renowned nationally and internationally for her expertise and is still helping to train physiotherapists online from her hospital bed.
Walkers say they hope to help her and give back to someone who worked “so long” for Sheffield and at the Northern General Hospital.
At the time of writing a gofundme page had raised over £60,000 towards the appeal. Anyone wishing to donate can do so HERE.
To follow the reiki ramble blog, visit https://sharingyorkshire.com/category/ramble/