A LOCAL family are asking for local support to get their son home after a spinal cord stroke left him paralysed.

Sam Jones, 20, sustained a spinal cord injury a year ago that has left him paralysed from the neck down.

Sam and his family lived in Chew Magna for 10 years before moving to South Devon a few years ago.

Sam was a valued member of Chew Valley Rugby Club for more than five years, and he and his siblings - Eleanor and Nell - attended Chew Magna Primary school where their father Scott was a school governor.

Sam had just completed his first year at Birmingham University studying Medicine.

He has spent the last year in hospital. The first few months were in intensive care at Torbay, but since then he has been in spinal rehabilitation units at the Royal National Orthopeadic Hospital in Stanmore in London, and a neuro rehab centre in Plymouth.

The family said: “Sam came off a ventilator a few months ago so can now breath independently. He has regained some movement in his right arm and leg. But he still needs support for every aspect of his life and remains largely paralysed from his neck down.”

Parent’s Scott and Naomi are now planning his discharge with the local spinal hospital, however, huge adaptations need to me made to their home before this can happen.

Sam needs many different types of specialist equipment and adaptive technologies to be able to continue his rehabilitation in the community. This includes making the house and garden accessible for a wheelchair, using a supporting robotic arm and a specialist bike that stimulates nerves and muscles. Most importantly, he will need daily neurophysio to optimise his movement and neuroplasticity.

Speaking to the Chew Valley Gazette, Scott said: “Sam’s spinal cord injury has been devastating for Sam and our family. But despite this life-changing injury, Sam continues to be the polite, bright and lovely boy that he’s always been. Every day, Sam finds a smile and a joke, and every day he works so hard on his recovery.

“What’s happened to Sam has made us all look back on our time in Chew Magna. For ten years, the village was our home, and this is where Sam and his sisters grew up. Those memories and emotions run deep. We have such fond memories of sports days, school plays, spooky discos, trick or treat nights, May fayres and sledging in the back field when the snow came.

“Sam is the same person today. His injury hasn’t changed his character one bit. For those people who remember Sam, and want to help Sam get the physio and the assistive technologies he needs to recover and adapt, we thank you so much.”

A JustGiving page has been created - www.justgiving.com/page/helpingsam - where donations are received by Aspire, a national spinal cord injury charity who will manage the fund and make sure donations go directly to Sam.

Fundraising events are also being organised locally, including a ‘Quizingo’ at Norton Malreward village hall on December 5 and another larger quiz in early March is being organised in Chew Magna, details to follow.