James Thompson is crowdfunding
Iʼm raising £200,000 to support Grace's future
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Story
On the 22nd of May, Grace Tutt was on her way home from school, sharing laughter and stories with her friends on the school bus—a journey she had taken countless times. But on this day, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The school bus, carrying Grace and her friends, was involved in a catastrophic collision with a tractor. Through no fault of her own, Grace’s life was tragically and irrevocably altered.
The impact of the accident was devastating, particularly for Grace, who was seated in the direct path of the tractor’s bucket as it pierced through the roof of the bus. In an instant, this vibrant 12-year-old girl went from enjoying her day to facing a lifetime of unimaginable challenges.
Grace has suffered an extensive list of severe injuries that will forever change the course of her life. Among the most significant are:
Severed spinal cord at the upper back (T4/5): This injury has completely cut Grace’s spinal cord, leaving her paralysed from the chest down, meaning she will never walk again.
Bruises on the spinal cord at the neck and various parts of the back: These additional injuries to the spinal cord make her condition even more complicated and challenging to treat.
Torn artery in the neck: This tear caused a series of mini strokes, leading to trauma in the right side of her brain and the back part of her skull.
Paralysed diaphragm on the right side: This has severely affected her ability to breathe, so Grace now depends on a breathing tube, with no certainty if she will ever breathe on her own again.
Small tear in the main artery near the spine: This injury, along with some bleeding around the upper part of the main artery in her abdomen, adds to the serious risks she faces.
Many fractures and deep cuts: Grace has large cuts on her left elbow and right eyebrow, along with fractures in her cheekbone, jaw, nose, base of the skull, and other facial areas. These injuries alone would be overwhelming, but they’re just part of the damage she has suffered.
Severe liver injury: Grace’s liver has been badly damaged, making her recovery even more difficult.
Severely damaged lungs: Both of Grace’s lungs are bruised, torn and have subsequently both collapsed. This makes breathing very difficult and is a constant concern. Grace requires continual monitoring and suction from her lungs to eradicate infection and keep her airway clear.
Multiple fractures in her ribs and spine: Grace has several broken ribs and multiple fractures in her spine, including one in her lower back that has left her spine unstable, contributing to her paralysis and overall condition.
While this may seem like an extensive list, unfortunately for Grace, it doesn’t capture the full extent of her injuries. The complete list is even longer, too overwhelming to fully detail here. These injuries are not just medical facts; they represent the enormous physical, emotional, and psychological battles that Grace must now face every day. The list is sobering, painting a picture of the unimaginable trauma this young girl has endured.
Grace is a fighter, she has already shown incredible bravery with her recovery, but she still has a long journey ahead of her. Since the accident, we have been inundated with message of support and love for Grace. We have also received several messages from people asking if they can help in anyway and asking if they can donate to help Grace in her situation. People have set up fundraisers and we cannot express how grateful we are for the support.
We have set up this page so if anyone wants to make a donation to Grace that they have an easy method of doing so.
We would like to thank everyone for their support to date.
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Updates
46
- 6 days ago
James Thompson
6 days agoYou forget the impact this has had on family. An unimaginable amount of stress and heartache has been imposed on the Tutt’s for the last 6 months. There is a saying, “Things are only sent to those that can deal with it” we have seen this first hand. An unbreakable bond has been on show from day 1. Today’s post is that of appreciation to the whole family for an amazing bunch of people who have pulled together. Andrew and Mel have gone weeks where they have only seen each other for minutes rather than days yet stand strong for Grace. Love wins ❤️
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- 10 days ago
James Thompson
10 days agoA special mention must go out to Georgina (one of Grace’s amazing friends) and her mum Sam who have just raised over £1,400 with a monumental walk from West Kingsdown all the way to King’s Hospital…what an effort. A massive thanks to both of them. Incredible people, completing an incredible challenge for an incredible girl. What a welcome to King’s as well…Grace’s smile! Once again, love wins, thank you so much ladies ❤️❤️
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- 15 days ago
James Thompson
15 days agoWriting from Rochester and Cobham golf club. A huge thanks to everyone who was involved in the golf day here today. An absolutely fantastic day that has propelled the raising efforts to £180,000. Once we get all the money in from today we should be over £190,000 and then we will be at our goal before we know it. Proud to be a part of this day for beautiful Grace. Keep smiling girl...the sky is the limit and we are all behind you. Lots of love from over 4000 of your new best friends xxx
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James Thompson started crowdfunding
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Supporters
4146
Yacht Golf Society
Nov 8, 2024
£10.00
Simonas
Nov 8, 2024
£20.00
Howard/CAFC
Nov 8, 2024
Keep fighting Grace, we're all with you. 😃
£50.00
PJ
Nov 7, 2024
STOP PRESS!The New Zealand 🇳🇿 Rugby Team have kindly donated! Well in an aroundabout way. I just happen to guess the closest scoreline last weekend & win this in the sweepstake! 🥳 #miracles
£110.00
Janet Byard
Nov 6, 2024
Sending my best wishes to Grace and her family.
£20.00
Anonymous
Nov 6, 2024
God Bless you Grace Xx.
£50.00
The Pritchard’s
Nov 6, 2024
Amazing Grace, your ability to smile through such challenging times is truly inspiring. What a beautiful, brave young lady. Sending you love and strength. Char, Sam Wren and Ruben xxxx
£50.00
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Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity.
The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised.