Ryan is running a marathon to raise funds for Oliver

Dear friends, family, and kind-hearted strangers,

Some of you may already know that my cousin Oliver had a life-altering accident last July, which left him tetraplegic, also known as quadriplegic. He damaged his C3, C4 and C5 vertebrae, the level of damage Oliver has is described as “Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury”. He has limited movement in his arms, hands, and legs, even though he cannot feel them. He also has an inability to sense heat, cold, or touch and suffers from uncontrolled muscle spasms.

After the accident, he was admitted to King's College Hospital in London, where he spent 8 weeks in intensive care—a terrifying time for all the family as he fought for his life. Once stabilized, with the only movement below his neck being his right-hand twitching, he was transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury in September.

The doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists have worked intensively with him from day one. Arriving with just that twitching hand, he can now use a manual wheelchair, feed himself with adapted cutlery, write with an adapted pen, and, most importantly, use his mobile phone!

He has come a long way in a short time. And while his achievements are nothing short of amazing, and we are all incredibly proud of him, he is still a long way from being an independent 21-year-old who can enjoy life to the fullest.

It is hoped that Oliver will be home by the end of March, and that’s when the true challenges of being a wheelchair user will become more apparent.

This is where I’m asking for your help.

I wanted to do something to help my cousin stay mobile outside of his home, so he can go out with his friends, go to the shops, and enjoy the outdoors—things that we often take for granted. I’m hoping to raise enough money to purchase a powered front-wheel attachment for Oliver’s wheelchair.

To help raise these funds, I will be running the Thames Meander marathon on Sunday 9th March 2025. This will be my first full marathon. Since my first visit to Oliver at Stoke Mandeville last October I’ve been training 4 times a week to keep on track. The marathon starts at 8:30 am from Petersham & Ham Sea Scouts, following the Thames Path past Richmond Bridge, Syon Park, and Kew Gardens, continuing to Chiswick Bridge. From there, I’ll run to Barnes Sports Club, turn around, and run all the way back to Petersham & Ham Sea Scouts. Then I’ll repeat the whole route to complete the 26.2 miles.

I would greatly appreciate not only your financial support for Oliver but also any support you can offer along the route.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Ryan