After years of my father attempting to ban me from horse riding, motorbikes, trampolining and sending my brother on holiday with a laminated 'NO DIVING' sign, I finally understood his concerns at age 16 when  I volunteered at the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital's spinal injury ward. This opened my eyes to the severity of this sort of injury and the devastating impact that this can have not only on an individual but also on their loved ones. My weekly visits not only exposed me to a number of incredibly inspirational people but also the medico-legal world; a career I have successfully pursued and one for which I am very grateful. This line of work has further opened my eyes  to the devastating impact of a spinal cord injury and this regularly reinforces how much most of us take for granted. 

37% of spinal cord injury's are the result of a Road Traffic Accident, a fact I suspect will not shock most people. As some of you may recall, my friends brother-in-law was involved in a motorcycle accident last year that unfortunately left him paralysed, an adjustment that I would not wish on anybody.  My dear friend and housemate (Matt Burton) had a near miss when we were in Croatia a few years ago when he dived and hit his head on a rock suffering C1 and C2 rotational dislocations and C3-C5 facet joint breaks - miraculously his cord was intact. In spite of him being an absolute lady killer in a neck brace, I regularly find myself thinking how lucky he was to have avoided this fate and about those who have not found themselves to be so fortunate. 

Terrifyingly, the second most common cause of a spinal cord injury, at 28%, is violence, surpassing falls and sports related injuries. This just goes to show that you don't have to be a risk taker or a daredevil (Matt Burton - diver and trampoliner) to suffer from this injury, it really could happen to anyone at any time. 

In order to support the Spinal Injuries Association and much to my father's dismay, I will be throwing myself out of a plane on the 1 June 2019 to raise money for this great cause. I recently learnt that the Cassar in my surname means 'clumsy' and so god knows how I will execute this Sky Drop (dive is far too elegant a term for a clutz like me) but in keeping with the laws of physics, all being well, I will make it back down to ground zero one way or another. 

If any of you would be able to donate anything at all that would be much appreciated.