FEATURE ➜
CONFIDENCE AND INCLUSION: Support after spinal injury A spinal cord injury can be lifechanging, but it should not be a barrier to learning, friendships or confidence. Julie Wharton examines the support available for schools and settings, and the young people they support. hirty ty-five y years ago, Mike Nemesvary, a world champion skier with many television and film appearances as a stunt double, broke his neck during a routine trampolining training session. A year prior to his accident, Mike appeared in the opening credits of the James Bond film ‘A View to a Kill’. But after his accident, having sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury, Mike was paralysed from the neck down and unable to walk. Undeterred, and with the support of his friends, Mike returned to the ski slopes and learnt to sit-ski. Mike believed that others in his situation sho ould be given the same
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opportunity tyy and, with the help of friends from the film and skiing industry, Back Up was established. Over time, Back Up grew into an organisation which supports individuals and their families of all ages to rebuild their confidence and independence following a spinal cord injury. I first came to hear of Back Up when I talked with Julie Hill. Julie and I grew up as next-door-but-one neighbours. In 1990, not far from the village where we grew up, Julie sustained a spinal cord injury as the result of a car accident. Julie’s story is cap ptured in the book Footp prints in the Snow and the television film of the same name in which Caroline Quentin played d Julie. Julie had sustained a spinal cord injury at the ninth thoracic (T9) vertebra.
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SPOTLIGHT
BIO JULIE WHART ON Julie is the course leader for the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCo) at the University of Winchester. Julie’s research interests are in inclusion and diversity.
The spinal cord consists of nerves and is a long tube-like structure that runs from the brain stem almost to the bottom of the spine. A spinal cord injury might be damage to the cord, or the tissue and bones surrounding the cord. Where the injury occurs will have an impact on how much movement and sensation is lost. Back Up is there for anyone who has been affected by spinal cord injury. All services are delivered by people affected by spinal cord injury themselves, so they can help people adjjust positivelyy to sp pinal cord injjuryy and get the most out of life e. Back Up is the only UK charity tyy with dedicated services for children and yo oung people with a spinal cord injury.
