Spinal Injury

Katherine is a close friend of mine from school - the kind who knew you at 12 and will know you at 112, (pending significant medical advancement, of course) regardless of how much you see each other.

A year and a half ago, in September '05, while on holiday in Portugal, Katherine's boyfriend dived head first into the sea from his feet and broke his neck at C5 which has left him paralysed from the chest down, with little movement in his arms.

His family, his friends and Katherine are absolutely amazing. On that note, I send a giant 'Big Up' to all of them. "Big-Up"? Is there no better rallying, incitational, morale-boosting one-worder than that???

To say more than this right now would be to risk a 5,000 word blog posting. I think it is fair to say that 'touching on' a topic like this is nigh on impossible.

It's strange... I don't even really know the guy, but I care deeply for his recovery and have nothing but admiration for him and all who know him.

And that extends to spinal injury sufferers across the world. By the age of 24, three of my close circle of friends had been affected in some way by spinal injury.

It is a dreadful business but one that we can help now and fix next.

Medical advancements are what will get James back on his feet... research is moving fast both in the States and the UK and it is hoped that clinical trials for potential treatments will start as early as this year.

It is a question of 'when', not 'if'.

My first comments!

My first blog comments arrived yesterday! All four are four of them are posted by 'anon'...

Yes. Before you is the author of my first ever comments - a man of the noughties, a pioneer of North Shropshire society, a wireless-enabled online daddy-guru of cool. And, of course, the reason for the marked increase in fedora sales across Shropshire over the last few months. Thanks, Dad! He also made the first donation. Nothing like a high roller to get the ball going, eh? But seriously, thank you very much.

Saturday, I squeezed nine miles out of a rather cold/cough-ridden Jessles and I had better now rest until better.

8 miles before breakfast AND a widget

I awoke this morning believing that my knee was once again swollen and painful. Lucid dreaming is a fine skill and one that I believe I have nearly mastered. I dreamt long and hard about how I was unfortunately unable to get up early and run 8 miles. In driving rain.

It took me 15 minutes of being semi-awake to acknowledge that this was not quite true.

This particular run took me on a magical mystery tour of South London - i.e. I got lost. I now know where Camberwell, Dulwich, Brixton and Kennington are, though. And the thing that suprised me most? The architecture, be it lurking behind boxy council estates, proudly looking down from above a yellowy-browning Wimpy sign or just looking vaguely suprised by the fact that its not in chelsea.

Were I bolder and richer, I would put an offer in now for a flat in one of the beautiful georgian townhouses in Camberwell or Peckham - sound of ceiling but lacking in location.

But sadly I'm neither particularly bold nor particularly rich. I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled though - by March, if anyone requires advice on the South London house market, I will be your man.

No-kneed

So much to say but where to start? Firstly, by declaring that Christmas is exhausting. I need a holiday. The problem is the lull between Christmas and the new year- the undefined slightly transitory recovery period at the end of which people tend to feel both rested and restless, resulting in them going and getting exhausted all over again on New Year's Eve.

Christmas training began well. My 9 mile early a.m. run on Christmas Eve elicited some suprise from family members, but went rather well. Lots of hills in Shropshire though. In fact, I never really appreciated how wonderfully flat London is until now.

I then became blase (acute accent), ran up the big Grins-Hill and then gleefully decended it at pace. My right knee has been swelling and hurting ever since.

So now training is over a week behind and I am unable to do anything until my knee stops hurting. Most frustrating.

I decided that perhaps some treadmill running would lighten the load on joints and joined a gym yesterday. While injury may be preventing use of gym, you will be relieved to know that Fitness First provide free fizzy drinks, newspapers and DVD hire. It's my new hangout- membership fees will not be wasted.

So I've started to think about really raising some money for people with spinal injuries, which is, don't forget, why both you and I are here. I plan on baking cakes for the inhabitants of North Shropshire and delivering them, along with sponsorship forms, during the Easter period. (Residents of Clive are invited to provide details of cake preferences in comments)

Other than that, anyone in London who gives £20 or more should most definitely invite themselves to dinner chez moi and I will provide them with fine cuisine and vin de table.

So roll up, roll up, why spend £50 with a load of same olds in Mamalanji's? Spend it on Dinner At Jessies! I reckon we can broker a deal whereby quality of dinner increases in proportion to size of donation... £50 could either get a dinner for 6 -guests of your choice- or oysters followed by boef en croute for one... I shall stop here before we get on to what £2,000 would buy you.

www.justgiving.com/jessicahatcher