On Friday 13 May 2022 we will be marking Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day 2022 (SCIAD) which raises awareness of spinal cord injury (SCI) and highlights the challenges SCI people face on a daily basis.
As specialist spinal cord injury solicitors, we support clients who have suffered life changing injuries and have heard many accounts over the years about the difficulties that SCI individuals experience including bladder and bowel challenges, emotional adjustment, benefits appeals, accessibility issues and relationship difficulties. We recognise that every person’s injury and the impact upon their day to day lives is different and we support clients on their journey to rebuilding their lives.
For years we have work closely with charities such as the Spinal Injuries Association, Horatio’s Garden and Rookwood Spur to support spinal cord injured people.
Spinal Injuries Association
We are trusted legal partner of the SIA and provide all manner of legal advice to SCI individuals whether they have a legal claim or not. Our Major Trauma Service provides pro bono legal advice and Emergency Fund grants to individuals and families who need financial assistance in the immediate aftermath of a life changing injury, such as spinal cord injury.
We have offered free training on subjects such as emotional adjustment, neuropathic pain and continuing health care funding, in conjunction with the SIA to healthcare professionals, therapists, case managers, social workers and charities workers throughout the pandemic.
In addition, we also enjoy fundraising for the SIA and most recently our brave, Kirsty John (chartered legal executive), raised hundreds of pounds doing a shark dive!
Horatio’s Garden
We are delighted to support Horatio’s Garden which will in the next few weeks be opening the new garden in Wales at The Welsh Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre at Llandough Hospital, Cardiff.
Horatio’s Gardens were set up to support spinal cord injury patients who often spend many months in hospital and during that time they often have little access to the outside world. The beautifully designed fully accessible gardens have space for beds and chairs to be wheeled outside so that patients (and their families) can enjoy a change of scenery and fresh air amongst colourful flowers and green plants.
As fundraising committee members, Ellice Harding, Solicitor, and I have been involved in planning events and quizzes to help raise funds, and during lock down, with some help from our colleagues, we ran 2,800km plus a few virtual half marathons as a team and managed to raise over £3,000 for the Horatio’s Garden Wales.
We’ve also recently enjoyed a CSR day in the garden and learnt all about mulching and look forward to helping out more in the garden as time goes on.
Ellice Harding (solicitor) , Ellis Meade (trainee solicitor), Ffione Davies (paralegal) and Nicky Sinclair( accounts co-ordinator) helping out at Horatio’s Garden Wales in March 2022.
Rookwood Spur
At Hugh James we have for many years enjoyed supporting this fantastic charity which promotes and improves the quality of life and opportunities for patients of the Spinal Cord Injuries Unit at Llandough Hospital (and formerly Rookwood Hospital).
Kate Coles (who heads up our Court of Protection team) has been a long-standing trustee of Rookwood Spur. Senior associate Charlotte Fletcher and others from the team have regularly volunteered for the charity at their monthly social events and we have taken part in the annual ‘Wheelie’ event which involves wheeling (whether it be by wheelchair, bike, trike, or scooter) around Cardiff Bay. We enjoy supporting patients and families whilst they are undergoing long periods of rehabilitation in hospital after spinal cord injury and helping where we can.
As Catastrophic Injury Team of the Year 2021/22, we have been recognised for the work that we do to support clients after lifechanging injuries. Not only do we provide first class legal advice to clients in respect of their claims, and recover significant sums of compensation, but we seek to get access to the best rehabilitation, provide a full and holistic service and also dedicate much time to supporting the incredible work which is undertaken by specialist charities such as Spinal Injuries Association, Horatio’s Garden and Rookwood Spur.
We wish everyone who is affected by spinal cord injury all the very best on Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day 2022.
