About Trust PA
Trust PA was set up in memory of Paul-André Blundell (known as PA), who was paralysed from the chin down after injuring his spine in a rugby accident in September 2001. After making significant progress to recovery he passed away suddenly and unexpectedly nineteen weeks later, aged just 26, due to a pulmonary embolism.
In tribute to PA, his friends and family set up Trust PA to fund current research developments into the repair of spinal cord injury, and end the permanence of paralysis.
Spinal Injury affects not only the individual but also their family, friends and associates. People become victims of paralysis doing very ordinary things like driving, their occupation or enjoying sports, when an unexpected accident happens.
Two people are paralysed daily in the UK and the average age is just 19 years. It is estimated there are approximately 50,000 paralysed people, of whom a high percentage are male. Life expectancy is now recognised to be unaltered by paralysis.
There is now on the horizon the availability for spinal cord repair. Scientists have been able to regenerate 4cm of spinal cord re-growth in the laboratory. So spinal Injury research is entering an important new phase as it works towards the Clinical Trials of treatments for the repair of damaged spinal cords.
Today, a cure is beginning to look very possible, even probable. This will only be achieved by directing money into worthwhile research and clinical trials that we will help to fund. These vital projects are an important step towards actual treatments becoming available for paralysed patients. To date there is no government funding for this important work.
Why spinal cord repair is so important
Four centimetres of spinal cord regeneration is equivalent to two vertebrae of spinal cord recovery. This means someone unable to breathe without a ventilator (like Christopher Reeve) would be able to recover his or her breathing.
Someone who can currently use only their arms but not their hands, has to have the help of a carer for everything, so to recover their hand use would be a huge step forward. Someone paralysed but able to use his or her arms and hands, can live a fully independent life and even go back to work.
This is therefore a very important project and the next stage is to get clinical trials underway so that, people paralysed as a result of a spinal cord injury, can be treated and helped. As this is what Paul-André had hoped to be part of, Trust PA will help to fund this important work.
To raise funds to date we have had the help from many of PA’s (Paul-André) friends and associates particularly Keynsham Rugby Football Club. These have included: charity balls, charity dinners, sporting tournaments, auctions, coffee mornings, raffles, direct donations, the Bath Half Marathon, street and rugby game collections, raffles, sponsored events, individuals running in the New York and London Marathons and the recent ascent of Kilimanjaro. Since setting up the charity in 2002, this has generated more than £50,000.
Our history
The family and friends of Paul-André Blundell, (known as P-A to his friends and associates), set up Trust PA.
Paul-André was born and lived in Whitchurch, Cardiff, playing sport for his school, college, county and the Welsh Youth U19 squad. He was a keen all round sportsman including, cricket, golf, running and motor sports.
He graduated from UWIC Cardiff, then moved to Bath working as a successful medical representative. He was a talented rugby centre playing for Keynsham RFC until his tragic accident on 8 September 2001, the worst rugby incident experienced in the UK.
Unfortunately, PA sustained a spinal injury that left him paralysed from the chin down and only able to breathe via a ventilator (like Christopher Reeve). After making good progress towards his recovery and rehabilitation, PA passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on 19 January 2002 aged just 26.
Being a very positive and focused individual, PA said that he did not know why this devastating injury had happened to him, but he felt confident that a lot of good would result from it.
He had been looking forward to taking advantage of the current research developments and was keen to make positive progress when he died.
PA is now greatly missed, as he was an extremely popular chap with a wide circle of good friends and colleagues. So with this in mind Trust PA has been set up as a positive tribute to his memory to help fund the repair of spinal cord injury to end the permanence of paralysis.
Our aim is to ensure that in the future, if someone is unfortunate enough to be the victim of an accident involving a spinal cord injury there is a repair treatment available, which will mean that the paralysis need not be forever.