Ben Roberts - His Story

Dear Sir,
I am hoping you may be able to help me in a quest to raise money for a local boy. I guess I am hoping you can perhaps suggest people I could contact re our fund raising for donations or media help. Below is Ben Robert's story.
Thankyou for your time,
Lyn Atkinson
Ben’s Story.

In April 2003 Ben was doing what many kids do, riding his pushbike over a jump in his backyard, with his two younger brothers. Ben was wearing a helmet, however he fell from his bike and suffered a severe spinal injury. At sixteen Ben became a quadriplegic on a respirator and for some time was critically ill. Ben's injuries have been likened to those Christopher Reeves suffered but more severe because his injuries were higher up his spine. 85% of injuries suffered in a spinal injury are injuries that cannot be seen visually. The CHALLENGES Ben has faced are enormous. Since the accident Ben has made good progress although his movements are limited to facial movements and turning his head, which is how he drives his motorised chair. He has learnt to speak and is doing exceptionally well.

Ben has been in the acute ward of the Spinal Unit of the Princess Alexandra Hospital for the past thirteen months, his rehabilitation has progressed well and Ben is now planning to return to his home, family and the local High School in Tenterfield. This is an important part of Ben's rehabilitation as he needs to be amongst his friends and family and living in a hospital is not ideal and the spinal unit actually demands patients do leave. Ben is managing to deal with this complete lifestyle change that he has been confronted with, at the beginning of his independence, with great strength and courage.

Ben will return to the local hospital until his home can be made “Ben friendly”.

To achieve his goal of returning home Ben not only needs the help of medical staff in Brisbane and Tenterfield but he desperately needs financial help. A registered charity called The Tenterfield Emergency Medical Foundation Inc was established to help Ben and his family. This charity will be ongoing and will be in place to help others who need help due to a medical emergency in the future. The generosity of the local town of Tenterfield has been really extraordinary and the community has got behind Ben, to date they have raised over $50,000. This has been done through group and individual donations, auctions, raffles, a charity dinner at which Sam Bailey, a quadriplegic from Croppa Creek was a guest speaker, (raised $17,000) and Rusty Gate's (Troy Grant) remarkable feat in breaking the golfing record last month which raised over $11,000. A local timber company has donated timber for renovations for his house. Hillier car conversions has offered to convert a vehicle, however we need the vehicle to convert! Although the generosity of the local community has been overwhelming Tenterfield is only a small rural town, which has suffered greatly during the drought, so Ben needs outside donations. To buy a vehicle alone costs $70,000 upwards.

Ben will need large scale adaptations to his home, a vehicle suitable for his motorised chair, 26 hours of one on one care, per day, a computer, air conditioning and the list goes on. A huge task but not impossible.

Unlike larger towns Tenterfield does not have many of the facilities or therapists necessary for Ben's continued rehabilitation so a vehicle to transport Ben for medical treatment and to get Ben to school is essential. Isolation for Ben will always be a problem but without transport a major problem, as it is difficult, because of his motorised chair and ventilator, to get around. Without adaptations to his family home Ben cannot leave hospital. Ben is looking forward to being able to have his mates visit him in his own home and to have a life with his family at home. Those who have come to know Ben in the past ten months are convinced that Ben is destined to achieve great things in life, to become an inspiration and mentor to others suffering an adversity. He is keen to raise awareness of spinal injury and to try to prevent others ending up in a similar position. Ben's cause is a worthy one.

Tenterfield Emergency Medical Fund Inc ABN 49294702626 Ben Roberts Appeal

Contact: Lyn Atkinson

Boorook

Tenterfield NSW 2372

Ph:0267376672

Fax: 0267376846

mobile..0427376672...please note this only works if I am away from home!

e-mail: boorook2@bigpond.com

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