This year, the GNPRC Conference is supporting the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA). Most people attending the conference will know or will have at least dealt with Sarah Black. Sarah is the Events Manager for this conference and without her and the team it would not happen.

Last Summer, Sarah and her family’s life changed forever. Sarah’s 20-year-old son Matthew was involved in an accident which resulted in a spinal cord injury (SCI). Matthew was treated at the Spinal Unit at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and this is where they met Spinal Injuries Association support coordinator Richard Devine.

It was evident from that first evening that Matthew was paralysed from the waist down.

Matthew is a full-time wheelchair user and has faced huge adjustments to his life. However, he has tackled these challenges headfirst and head strong. He has returned to college and his apprenticeship in engineering full time and has a full social life with his friends and girlfriend.

The GNPRC would like to support SIA who offer a huge range of services including advice, support and information which is a lifeline for those with a spinal cord injury and their family especially in the early days when everything is so bleak and bewildering.

SIA relies on fundraising, donations and gifts in wills to provide services that help people with spinal cord injury rebuild their lives. It is vital that money is raised to allow the charity to continue to support the SCI community.

Thank you for your time and support.