Latest news with #SpinalResearch
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
London Marathon: Ms Haddock of Hoo sets record dressed as fish
A woman who completed the London Marathon while dressed as a fish is celebrating setting a new world Haddock, 42, from Hoo in Kent, completed Sunday's race dressed as a swordfish in under eight set a Guinness World Record for the feat while raising money for the charity Spinal Research, four years after her husband was paralysed from the neck down in a freak accident."With a name like Haddock, why not make it even more of a challenge to do the London Marathon dressed as a swordfish?," she said. The clinical support worker, who plans to train to become a physiotherapist, added: "I have sclerosis and just after the 11-mile mark I felt my toe break and so was in agony for the rest of the run."It was incredibly emotional but the support I've received has been unreal, and to get a world record on top is wonderful."Ms Haddock's husband, Paul, sustained his injury after collapsing while on holiday in Greece and landing three weeks, he was flown back to Medway where he remained in hospital for three months, before being transferred to a specialist spinal injury unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire for a further six Haddock said: "It was obviously a huge struggle mentally at first for both of us but once Paul got to Stoke Mandeville and started to make some progress he became so motivated".
Irish Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Turkey holiday horror as woman 'partially decapitated' diving into swimming pool
A young professional who 'partially decapitated' herself after diving into a pool and breaking her neck on holiday has said she feels 'fortunate' to be alive. Becca Reed, 25, who lives in London and works in PR, went to Turkey with a friend for her 23rd birthday and played volleyball in the pool on May 16 2022. After diving to catch the ball, she hit her head on the concrete base of the pool and spent the next few days in a 'haze and daze', managing the pain with painkillers and believing she just had whiplash. Unbeknown to Becca until she flew home and sought medical advice on May 19, she had crushed the C5 and C6 vertebrae in her neck, leading to two operations and years of mental and physical rehabilitation. 'When I did eventually see a doctor, the first thing she said after I told her what had happened was, 'I'm surprised you're not dead',' Becca told PA Real Life. She said doctors credited her unusually strong back and shoulder muscles as the factors that held her spinal cord in place, helping her survive the moment of impact and the days afterwards. Having never run 5km before the accident, she is now preparing for the TCS London Marathon on Sunday to raise funds for the Spinal Research charity. Speaking about the accident, she said: 'I was in pain, but there was no swelling, there was no bruising, my muscles were all just really tight – and it's called guarding. 'My muscles were guarding the rest of my body because I essentially partially decapitated myself, so my muscles were holding my head on. I had been going to the gym five or six times a week for nearly two years beforehand – and that is why I am alive. Doctors said if my injury had happened to a normal person, they wouldn't walk, move, talk.' Becca has always lived an active lifestyle and before the accident she enjoyed lifting weights in the gym, skipping and boxing. She tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in one knee, aged 17, but otherwise suffered no major injuries – until her birthday trip to Turkey in May 2022. On May 16, when she and her friend were playing volleyball in the pool, one move changed her life 'in an instant'. 'The dive just went so wrong,' she explained. 'My hands didn't even hit the bottom, my head was just the first thing to hit the bottom. Once the injury had happened, I just floated in the water for what felt like an eternity and I was just thinking, 'Can I move my feet?'' Becca soon realised she could move and she stood up and climbed out of the pool, and over the following days she remained in bed, taking painkillers. 'I hadn't jumped to, 'I've broken my neck or I've broken my spine', I just thought it was severe whiplash,' she said. After flying home, the pain increased and on May 19 she called NHS 111 for advice. She was advised to visit the A&E department at North Middlesex University Hospital, where she underwent an X-ray and various scans before being placed in a neck brace. 'Doctors told me I had the worst injury in London on this day,' she said. 'They said that my C5 and C6 vertebrae were just completely smushed and I had basically just cracked them both in half.' Becca was taken to the Royal London Hospital where she underwent two operations: one to replace the shattered vertebrae with a metal structure, and another to stabilise her neck with rods and screws. This is when doctors said her pre-injury dedication to fitness saved her life. 'The pain was actually the worst after the second surgery because they had to cut through all of my neck and back muscles,' she said. 'The surgeon said you've grown muscles where people don't usually grow muscles because I used to lift weights, and that is one of the main reasons why everything else held on.' According to Spinal Research, every two hours someone is paralysed by a spinal cord injury in the UK and this can be caused by an accident, illness or a health condition. Becca had to re-learn how to turn over in bed, stand up from lying down, walk and even put moisturiser on her face. She described the recovery process as 'long and gruelling' and said she neglected her mental health at times. However, she knew she had to 'show up for (herself)' and, with the support of friends and family and Spinal Research, she began to rebuild her strength. 'My body held on for dear life when I didn't know it needed to… so I really needed to spend some time getting my body back to where I trusted in it again,' she said. After six months, Becca was able to start lifting more than 10kg and in January 2024, as part of her new year resolutions, she wanted to 'find passion in movement again'. She decided to start running and said she found 'peace and serenity' and a newfound confidence in herself and her body. Nearly three years after the accident, she will be running the TCS London Marathon on behalf of Spinal Research to raise awareness of the science and support systems that helped save her life. She said: 'If there's one thing that comes out of any of this, it's me advocating for people to get in the gym and be active. I didn't realise it would save my life, and you don't want it to be too late, so start now. Just show up for yourself now so you can thank yourself later because you don't know what's around the corner.' To donate or find out more about Becca's fundraiser, visit Becca's London Marathon for Spinal Research.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ros Canter to run London Marathon for rider paralysed in fall
An Olympic champion equestrian is to run the London Marathon in honour of a young rider who was paralysed in a Canter, who won gold in team eventing at the 2024 Paris games, said she had been inspired to take part by her friend Saffron Cresswell, who broke her back when she fell from her horse in June last from Hallington, Lincolnshire, will be running to raise money for research into spinal injuries."Saffron's been absolutely incredible, she's just an inspiration to us all," she said. "Right from day one, she's been determined to live her life to the full, regardless of what's happened." The friends had planned to run the marathon together before the accident at the Bramham Horse who was 23 at the time, damaged her spinal cord in the fall and was paralysed from the chest down. She now uses a wheelchair. Canter is training for the Badminton Horse Trials, in May, and the Agria European Championship, at Blenheim Palace, in she contacted her friend about the possibility of running the marathon for the Spinal Research said Cresswell had told her: "Get yourself in to gear and off you go."Speaking about the response to Cresswell's accident, Canter said: "There's a great team spirit in our sport, we're all friends. It's always shocking when something like that happens."She's out doing lots of stuff in her wheelchair, trying different sports, doing her best to get as strong as she can, to enable her to live a life she still wants to lead." Cresswell, from Worcestershire, had won European medals and was hoping to take part in the Olympics in the future. During her rehabilitation, she praised the NHS staff involved in her said: "It is amazing that Ros is running the marathon after we'd planned to run it together. "It is great that she is raising money for a charity close to my heart."The funds will advance research to help people living with spinal chord injuries."The London Marathon will be held on 27 April, when more than 56,000 runners are expected to take Research funds work on new treatments, technologies and therapies for people living with spinal cord injuries and aims to "find a cure for paralysis". Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Derbyshire man to run marathon dressed as the London Eye
A man is to run the London Marathon dressed as the London Eye after recovering from being paralysed from the waist Farnsworth, from Sandiacre in Derbyshire, contracted encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, in 1999 and was left unable to walk for plans to take on the marathon in April carrying a replica of the landmark, which he has built from electrical conduit tubing and water bottles."I've not actually tested it with an actual run yet, so I hope it doesn't fall apart," the 56-year-old said. Mr Farnsworth will take part in the race to raise money for Spinal Research. He said running had become part of his long-term recovery once he had learned to walk added: "I've run quite a lot of half-marathons and marathons before, and I think this might be my last hurrah."I once ran the London Marathon as an illuminated bee, and I wanted to do something different. I remembered a chap did it as Big Ben and got stuck under the finish line, so I thought I'd pick a different landmark on the course."Mr Farnsworth, who hopes to raise £2,250 for the charity, said he aimed to complete the 26.3 mile (42.2km) course in under five hours. Spinal Research chief executive Louisa McGinn said: "Roger is definitely going to be easy to spot with his incredible London Eye costume."We're so grateful to him."
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Paralysed man regains movement in breakthrough trial
A Kent man paralysed from the waist down has partially regained bowel and bladder control thanks to breakthrough UK research. Dan Woodall, from Rainham, was paralysed in 2016 after falling from a bypass after a night out. The 33-year-old was one of 10 people to take part in a recent Pathfinder2 trial, funded by charity Spinal Research, using electrical stimulation to "excite" the spinal cord and attempt to create movement. "[The trial] gave me back control over muscle groups I never thought I'd move again, including my right hamstrings and hip flexors," he said. "I've also regained some bowel and bladder control - something I was told in hospital after my accident might never happen. "Just knowing when you want to use the toilet is such a massive thing for your independence and mental health. "The fact that the gains have continued after the trial is really encouraging and I can't wait to see where this goes." The participants took part in 120 sessions using the technology - known as ARC-EX therapy. All saw significant improvements in upper body strength, torso control and balance, according to Spinal Research. Spinal Research chairwoman Tara Stewart said: "This therapy is not a silver bullet. "It works on spared spinal tissue so results will vary widely and it does need to be paired with proper active rehabilitation over a consistent period of time. "Even so, this is a game changing moment. It's now time to stop talking about spinal cord injury as being incurable and to stop telling people with this injury that nothing can be done." The peer-reviewed study has been published in Neuromodulation: Technology at Neural Interface. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Man accidentally sets marathon record on crutches 'Everybody cried when I was able to walk again' Rugby coach who broke neck to run half marathon Spinal Research
