Hello
As always I am late to send another Blog, I know I should do better but I am on bed rest and have been for a couple of years (I have a couple of really bad pressure sores) and after nursing for the sores and other issues and Physiotherapy and a rest in the day it sort of slips my mind, also for those that know all the hassle of carers and so on can be time consuming, not to say depressing if you allow it to be.
I have a new baby brother Dylan, my dad and my step mum had him last month and he is amazing, he looks beautiful and is really good, I love having him laying with me he already gives great cuddles and he’s only 18 days old. something odd with my dad as every male in our house starts with the initial D, David, Dean, Daniel and now Dylan, fortunately we have Claire my step mum, the mail is a nightmare. To Mr D Nicholls!
The web site gets better every time I look and I can’t thank the guys behind it enough they have and are doing a great job it looks very cool. I try not to get too involved in the cure side that the charity supports as for those that are in this position will understand, I can’t afford to raise my hopes or set target dates, I just take each day as it comes and listen to my dad and what he tells me is happening, he is also good as he never says it will happen in two years or three years, all he says is there are some amazing scientists out there and what was once an impossible dream to cure Paralysis is now a real possibility at some point in the future. I am very proud of him and all his friends and colleagues that have done so much for spinal injured people. He could have just sat back and said leave it to them but that’s not his style, my dad’s a real doer, a let’s make it happen type of guy!
Dean as always is my main support he is simply the best brother in the world. He is amazing and I could not be in the place I am now (mentally) without him, he also does all my Physio. He recently passed his driving test so I am really pleased that he can get about easier without always asking for lifts etc.
The sport this year has been great, the Olympics were really good, then there was the Ryder cup (we could and should have done better, I am not in to Golf at all but my dad will watch two old ladies playing the game, he is mad about it!) and now the football seasons here, I will be glad to get off the bed rest so I can go and see Arsenal, I am a season ticket holder but can’t go at present.
Watch strictly come dancing, two of the patrons and dads friend, Gary Rhodes and Austin Healy are in it, although Austin seems to be doing better than Gary at present, I hope Gary stays in a bit longer, he is a great guy and I would like to see him stay, although I think Austin is my favourite to win it, he just looks really great at dancing.
Anyway enough from me,
Thanks for reading the blogs and hitting the web site.
Dan
Hi Dan,
Despite of being computer illiterate we have just managed to open and read your blog and think that this is a great way to communicate.
Although we have never met you have become very much part of our life through our involvement in your charity. Thank you for the lovely letter you sent us following the Michel Roux’s fundraining dinner. It was a great evening and Lord Archer an amazing auctioneer. Shame that the current state of financial affairs dampenned the guests’ spending mood a little!
We can see that you are very keen on football and so are all the men and boys in our family. You must be pleased with Arsenal’s performance but we are Liverpool supporters and, as you know, they are at the moment slightly ahead of you. However, this may change next week. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that England beats Kazakhstan tomorrow, no doubt you will be watching and so will we (provided it does not interfere with Strictly come dancing!!) Shame about Gary Rhodes being voted off we now have to find another favourite.
Ok that is all for today and hope that your bed rest will be soon over.
With love and best wishes
Zdenka and Willy Bauer
Hi Dan,
I just read Liz Jones’ article in The Sunday Mail about you. Mere words are so inadequate at times like these but I wanted you to know that I think you are an amazingly brave young man. I have also been on to the Nichollsfoundation website which I found very inspiring. I normally support Great Ormond Street but have now decided to split my support with them and your foundation. Every little helps. The website led me to your blog so I thought I would just send you a quick email to say hello and introduce myself. Congratulations on having a new baby brother and loved your comment about him laying with you and giving you cuddles.
Do not feel you have to reply to this email Dan.
I wish you less discomfort.
Go gently.
Susie.
Hi Dan
I don’t know how you feel about getting ‘fan-mail’ from complete strangers. I guess you feel like you don’t have too much control over your life so I understand if you don’t answer. (get your bro to tell me p*** o** if you like!)
I think using a computer must be exhausting for you, but perhaps you have one of those gadgets that reads mail for you?
I’m not a very interesting person to have as a penpal for a young man who is interested in football. I hate football! Don’t know anything about golf either, but I LOVE dogs, so maybe we can chat about that.
I’m an ooold woman, I have 2 sons about 10 years older than you. My dad had a progressive neuromuscular condition so I have a little bit of experience with the whole carers scene.
My dad loved getting emails. when he couldn’t write anymore he kept sending me these awful jokes. Some of them were really awful but it was his only way of keeping in touch and I think he enjoyed searching for the cornyist he could find! I miss him, even miss the jokes.
Back to the dogs: I have a Maltese called Max. I love him to bits. He goes everywhere with me. In spite of his pretty boy appearance he thinks he is a big dog, barks and growls at other really big dogs, and people he doesn’t know coming to my house. We call him the weisweiler (get it? white rottweiler)
I’d like to hear about your dogs. Or anything else; just not football…
All the best to you from Hazel and Max
hi dan,
i read an article liz jones wrote about you and that you are a bromley boy. i’m originally from bromley and beckenham myself but now live near sevenoaks in kent. i have a friend jamie (also a sarf londoner), well he is actually more a close friend of my best friend who was paralysed in a motorbike accident. i’m not sure of the extent of his paralysis but i think it’s from the shoulders down. it happened when he was 18 or 19 and he has a good career in IT now and is married to his second wife. i just wondered if he’s someone you would ever like to meet, i know we are a bit older than you being in our thirties but he’s got the mental age of someone a lot younger (he’s very cool and trendy unlike me!) and having been housebound myself a few years ago i know meeting new people is either fantastic or too tiring depending on the day you wake up. he would understand that. let me know as he’s a great guy. myself, i’m going to email your dad’s organisation now as i’d like to organise a charity ball next summer for his organisation. all the best dan, enjoy dylan! i’m 5 months pregnant myself with 2nd boy, you can’t help smiling when you spend time with kids no matter how crap a day you are having they are the best tonic. natalie
Hi Dan
I read about you in the mail today in the Liz Jones article.You sound like a great guy & I feel so sorry that life isn’t as it should be for you at the moment.
I’ve just read a great book called “The secret” perhaps you could ask around & see if any one you know has it,I think it has a bit of a fan club at the moment.I found the book inspirational.
god bless you dan & your wonderful family
xx
Hi Dan
I have read the piece in the Mail on Sunday today and followed the links
( I am not very skilled with I.T, being very ancient) Anyway I have been looking at your website and I do wish you well with the fundraising. I will be donating when one of my duaghters is around to help. I have four daughters who are such a joy.
It sounds as if your family are a great, and giving you a lot of support.
My best wishes to you and I do hope your pressure sores respond to treatment (we are a medical household and I know they can be diffcult to treat) Get the cold weather out of the way and I hope you will be out and about by Spring.
Best wishes
Jo
Hi, you might be interested in the ReWalk exoskeleton system due out 2010,
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=424UCSN3Fjg
also the japanese HAL system due out soon
http://medgadget.com/archives/2006/10/exoskeletons_rn.html
Im sure they will be adapted for tetraplegic use soon too.
hth
Hi Dan
Just had to let you know how you’ve helped me today(UGH this sounds SO American…) Put the phone down from my unspeaking daughter (she has celebral palsy and has never walked-but her disability was the result of an accident too) and find your article in the Mail. Em likes lots of bed rest but it drives me mad… How can I convince her there is a life out there and that I love her very, very much. (Pause for a good cry..) Anyway it was so good to hear how important a supportive family is to you and that in itself made me feel so much better.
Take care -and thank you
Morning Dan,
Like the others just read about you and felt the need to put a finger to the keyboard, just useless at typing, this could take a while. Not keen on football or golf and don’t have a dog but got a couple of really vicious budgies.We call them Louis I think we’re on to Louis the 5th and sixth at the moment (why Louis you ask? or maybe you don’t) Gonna tell you anyway. We never know what sex they are and Louis can be a girl or boy (I had an auntie Louie) and I think it goes right up to about Louis the 14th (history not a strong point) so we’ve still got a few to go if these two go the way of the others. Right, fingers hurting now. Got to tell you this if there’s time. Blonde gets a job as a teacher, she’s out on the playing field with the kidsand they’re all running around apart from one little boy whose stood on his own. She goes up to him and say “Are you OK” He says “Yeah! I’m fine” She says “you can go off and run around with the others if you want” Boy says “I don’t think that would be a good idea Miss”She says “Why not”? “Cos I’m the goalie”! Ha! Ha! Ha! I thought it was funny. I am not that blonde!!!! That’s all I knowabout football! Good luck with everything.
Hi Dan
I should be writing school reports now but I just felt I had to write having read the Mail article yesterday. You sound an incredibly brave young man. I have a son of 20 who’s at university and who I worry a lot about because he not only plays rugby but he also does very dangerous skiing tricks off piste without a helmet on (because it’s not cool) and all you did was dive into a wave. Life certainly isn’t fair and you have such courage and an amazing family.
You are in my thoughts and I will support your foundation.
Hi A,
Read the MoS piece and just knew I had to get in touch! I am a fellow Quad/Tetra (C4/5) since a diving incident in 1976. You are so right with the proposed response ‘… it gets better.’
Dan, can you please use my email and get in contact with me? There is so much we must discuss!
Till later.
I’ve read the mail on Sunday the likeness to my injuries brought home the recurring moments then and now regarding struggles, trials, and conquering of mindsets which people in our position have to deal with. I was injured C5/6 tetra 1983 at 25yrs old in the small article was a small glimpse of frustrations which exist.
It saddens me of course that mine, yours and others injuries are feared but then the con of so much independent choices are cut away from you by jobs worth mindsets. I liked what you quote in the article ” family from hell” rang so true, as i was told I was so demanding by my employed care agent, as she sat reading my paper in my wheelchair, in my house, exit stage left i thought!
I am in Croydon with many intertwined experiences it would be a shame not to converse with each other, I travel to and from Bromley at last count last week was 5 times. I am open to exchanging my experiences as I too have learnt the hard way, which is a positive way in the end, so i invite you to drop me a line.
I liked the research promotion as positive people are a welcome relief. I am a follower, fundraiser and keen supporter of the I.S.R.T i was wondering how you see their work in the same context?
I have had a little moan, perhaps got on my soap box a little, but i hope conveying a little humour does help, positive thoughts do seem distant im sure, i have been there I can assure you.
Biting the bullet, staying positive are easy to say as the first thing you need is to get on too getting out of that bed, check out Manuka Honey treatments, or talk to out patients at the national spinal unit @ Stoke Manderville.
Best Wishes Clive
Hi Dan,
Like others, I read the Liz Jones article about you in Sunday’s Mail. I can’t tell you how it made me feel. I’m a well-over 21 grandmother … so at my age, I should be able to summon up some words to describe how the words written about you and your life touched my heart. You are an inspiration to others … and obviously not least your extremely supportive family. I wish you well and … many congratulations on the new arrival! x
Dear Dan
Its great that you felt able to write another blog but I am sorry to hear that you are still on bed rest. Aren’t little babies lovely? You can’t stop lookling at them can you? He will bring you many hours of fun.
I’m sure your Dad keeps you up-to-date with the Foundation and as you know the charity goes from strength to strength. We have some great Patrons now and of course all eyes are on Austin Healey as he trips the light fantastic every Saturday night. We must all keep voting for him, spread the word and try to make sure he gets into the final. I expect that Strictly Come Dancing clashes with either football or rugby on TV and you probably prefer to watch that. Unfortunately my family are ManU fans! So disappointing that isn’t it!!
Do you watch cricket? Your Dad will tell you that I LOVE cricket! The Ashes next year will be very exciting following Australia’s recent losses in India. They will be looking for a big win and The Ashes is a really big deal – no-one fights better or stronger than the Australians.
Dan I hope it won’t be much longer before you are able to leave your bed. We think of you often and know that you are a hero to your family – well, you are someting of a hero to us too!! With Love – Susan
Hi Dan,
So Christmas is almost over and we hope that you had a good time with your family and friends. And what did Dylan think of the Xmas tree? Like everyone we have been a little too indulgent over the past two day and so today it is only soup and football! It is an exciting time with things being so tight at the top of the premier division. Liverpool, my team, is still leading, however, I believe your team has some catching up to do. Did you watch the finals of ‘Strictly come dancing’ despite of Gary having been knocked out? And how about the John Sargent saga? All very exciting stuff indeed.
We wish you a very happy 2009 and hope to meet you soon.
With warmest regards
Zdenka and Willy Bauer
Hi Dan
I read the article in the mail about you, then went on the message board at the face book charity page and someone forwarded me the link to your blog! Hello! Well i understand you probably won’t be able to reply to me but i just wanted to write to you and send you lots of love and smiles and hope your days are not too depressing. After i read your story i thought how brave you are and how it could have quite easily happened to me and so i thought i just wanted to pop by and say hello!
I am 33, i spent a year in Australia when i was 19 absolutely loved it, gorgeous weather had a complete hoot, i took the Oz Experience bus all the way up the east coast, if it wasn’t for the huge spiders i would probably go back!!! i actually met an American guy whilst i was traveling there fell in love had heart broken when he left LOL, well 12 years later our paths crossed again and we ended up getting married!!! so that leads me to where i am today, in moscow Idaho!! a complete hill billy town ( very different from my last residence SW3)
Well i hope i didn’t make you fall asleep whilst reading that!!!!! but i guess i just want to be any support to you i can be, even if its making you smile! My jokes are terrible so i will save you on that front!
I hope this year brings more hopes for you, and if you ever get a chance to go on face book please visit my page.
With love
Rosine
hi!
i guess thinking back to infant school, our mothers were friends! do u remember janet? well i did a stint with the community nurses and loved it! im a student nurse now. still dnt remember me? i had a brother oli? neway! i hope ur ok! and doing well! u might remember me as katie sanders? oli was a sheep in infant schoolplay! well i have a son he is 7 now. cameron. weird to write to u altho been trying to find u for ages! facebook i find dean, i just remember running afgter him when he was let go by ur mu i think he was about 2 lol lil whippit#1 ne way get in touch xx take care take it easy!