#charitu

Roselind Wilson

ALL THE DUDAHLALA LOVE! <3

The wheelchair obstacle course wasn't for me, as you may have guessed, it was as part of the "youth event" I ran along with Sophie as part of our youth advisory group that we are pioneering for the amazibg charity, Back Up. The event was a great success. We held it at Stanmore spinal unit in North London (hence the lone long road trip) for under 18s with spinal cord injury, their parents and their siblings. There were 4 young people with sci and with all their families it came to about 20 people. So it basically turned into a family fun day, we had additional wheelchairs so everyone could have a go at the activities and it was interesting to see how certain siblings were experts...British bulldog, funky funky seaweed, egg and spoon race, relay race...and food, lots of food! At the beginning I went to all the parents and asked for permission to film and take photographs. They were all lovely and ok with it but you could tell they were nervous and unsure about their own and their child's future, let alone the 3 hour event! I later found out that majority of participants were still in hospital with one only having been home for a week. We started with a presentation about ourseleves and what back up have done for us and what they can do for them. I honestly never thought you could physically see someone's outlook on on life and the future physically be displayed and change in front of your eyes...and from there it just got better! One parent who I remember being particularly nervous at the beginning was bouncing at the end and came over congratulating us, wishing is luck in our a levels and saying how she now knew her son was going to have a good life. I assured her that he would. I'd almost forgotten that feeling of thinking you had no future and worth on this planet, not knowing where you would go or what you would do once you finally got "released". I've experienced similar recently and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing because I know it'd be even worse in 3 years time, and I've got through it. Now I know that those families will too, for three hours they got to taste, remember and re-realise how wonderful, though challenging, their lives and future will be.