Get Kyle kicking again - My rehab fund

Anyone who knows me will tell you how much I love to move. From playing football, to cycling here, there and everywhere; dancing through the night, to travelling the world.

But on 11th December 2023 my life changed forever.

As I cycled across London to work that morning I had a freak accident with a bus. I found myself lying in Camden road, staring down at my bike pinned between my legs. Immediately, I realised l was unable to move my legs and had lost all feeling in my body.

Still conscious, I was rushed to the Royal London hospital and prepared for surgery. Hearing my partner Ella’s screams down the phone as the surgeon called to tell her what had happened will stay with me forever.

The scans showed that I had broken my neck at C7 and almost completely severed my spinal cord.

Thankfully, the surgeons were available and able to operate on me almost immediately - this was ultimately key to saving my life. The gratitude I have for them and the staff at Royal London is beyond measure.

As multiple doctors have told me since, it was one of the worst breaks they had ever seen, and I was incredibly lucky to be alive. But despite their efforts to save my functions, I was told I would never walk again.

After 5 weeks, I was extremely fortunate to be referred to Stanmore’s specialist spinal cord injury centre, for what turned out to be a four month stay of intense rehabilitation. I was able to make significant progress and gained some of my independence back with the support of the amazing team there.

Family and friends and my incredible partner have helped me stay strong, positive and motivated, even when my body has said ‘no’. Anyone who knows me, knows that I will never give up, but this has undoubtedly been the most difficult period of my life, and sadly a spinal cord injury means so much more than losing the use of my legs.

The real challenge now begins as I return home to a familiar environment which has suddenly become so different. Away from the safety net of spinal professionals, navigating life from a completely new perspective is a physical and emotional battle almost impossible to convey.

I'm determined (a stubborn bastard some would say) to continue building on the progress that I've made. But losing access to specialist equipment and trained professionals will make it extremely difficult to continue to develop at the same pace. This is why we've set up this page. I'm reaching out to ask for any help in raising funds to support my rehab. Things that would help my continuing progress and general health and wellbeing are:

- Lightweight wheelchair (£4,800) & power assist device (an additional £4,700) to give me independence

- Ongoing physiotherapy (£80-£100 per hour)

- Functional electrical stimulation (FES) bike to stop muscle wastage (£13,000)

- Equipment to allow me to travel / get back to doing things I love (e.g. portable shower chair, £900; adaptive kitchen aids, £10-50; assistive technology for designing etc.etc)

- Other home therapy equipment

Unfortunately equipment related to spinal injuries doesn't come cheap! We're looking into grants and funding to support with some of these items, but it is limited. We've set our target high, but in all honesty we're grateful for any amount of support - it will all help ❤

Despite being told that I wouldn't walk again, I'm determined to do everything in my power to at least try. As they say, the brain is the most powerful muscle in the body, and I refuse to give up. So if I can remain positive and stay focused there's no limit to what I'll achieve.

Much love always,

Kyle Brindle