Thank you for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page. To purchase tickets for The Sparkle Ball, please follow the link at the end of this page. If you are unable to attend the ball but still wish to make a donation, please read on! 

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Annabel Davis. I’m 27 and a speech and language therapist. I love dancing, wearing high heels, travelling, writing lists and above all (though it’s easy to forget sometimes) life itself.

On 2^nd December 2018, it will be ten years to the day since I was in a road traffic accident in Hampshire which changed my life forever. I had no idea that when I left school after a drama rehearsal, the real drama was still to come. When I was hit by a car while walking to my mum’s car, I sustained a compound fracture to my right arm (which required three operations), a fracture to my ankle (which required surgery), a fractured pelvis and fractures to the bones at the base of my spine.  While I never forget how fortunate I to have avoided a brain injury, internal injuries and indeed to have survived; I could never have anticipated the long journey both physically and emotionally for myself and all of those around me.

Ultimately, although I would never have believed it at the time; this experience has made me into the woman I am today and one that I can be proud of. Yes, I will always be that girl  with a wonky pelvis and a curvy spine, the one who is the worst passenger in your car and always looks ten times before crossing the road. However, I’m also the girl who still managed to get three A’s in her A levels 6 months after the accident, who eventually did become a speech and language therapist against the odds, who dances several times a week despite being advised not to expect to dance again and who two years ago swam in a tank of sharks without a cage.

To celebrate my recovery and mark this “anniversary” I am fundraising for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH). The RNOH is a national centre of excellence, the largest orthopaedic hospital in the UK and is regarded as a leader in the field of orthopaedics both in the UK and worldwide.  More than 30% of the RNOH’s work is for children and I have chosen to specifically fundraise for the Children and Young People’s ward at the hospital. Children who come to the RNOH are between 3 months and 17 years old and may have complex and multiple disabilities, life limiting conditions, life-endangering cancer, severe spinal deformity or complex joint or limb deformity. World-class medical treatment, nursing and support services are provided to enable children and adolescents to improve their physical abilities, education and emotional wellbeing. Patients can stay with the same team of experts for as long as they need, and are cared for throughout their life into adulthood and old age, something which is completely invaluable for patients.

While I was lucky in that my injuries were not complex enough for me to require treatment from the RNOH; the delivery of care for children and teenagers with orthopaedic injuries is something very close to my heart which I can first hand emphasise the importance of. The biggest lesson I learnt about recovery is that it is a team effort. It is not a one person task; every doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, counsellor contributes to the journey not to mention your family and friends around you. I want to be able to support children and teenagers who are going through or have been through similar battles to the ones that I faced and because let’s face it, anyone who has ever fractured anything can vouch for how painful it is. Let alone for those of us who manage to sustain multiple fractures simultaneously.

To learn more about the amazing work that this hospital does, please watch the video below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j2xokz-Dho&t=5s

I am very aware of how many worthy charities there are out there today desperate for support but I would be so appreciative of any donation you feel able to make to the children and teenagers seeking treatment from the RNOH.

Thank you for all your support.

Annabel xxx

#SparkleAgainstTheOdds

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-sparkle-ball-tickets-33401174813?aff=es2