James Thompson is crowdfunding
Iʼm raising £200,000 to support Grace's future
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Story
On the 22nd of May, Grace Tutt was on her way home from school, sharing laughter and stories with her friends on the school bus—a journey she had taken countless times. But on this day, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The school bus, carrying Grace and her friends, was involved in a catastrophic collision with a tractor. Through no fault of her own, Grace’s life was tragically and irrevocably altered.
The impact of the accident was devastating, particularly for Grace, who was seated in the direct path of the tractor’s bucket as it pierced through the roof of the bus. In an instant, this vibrant 12-year-old girl went from enjoying her day to facing a lifetime of unimaginable challenges.
Grace has suffered an extensive list of severe injuries that will forever change the course of her life. Among the most significant are:
Severed spinal cord at the upper back (T4/5): This injury has completely cut Grace’s spinal cord, leaving her paralysed from the chest down, meaning she will never walk again.
Bruises on the spinal cord at the neck and various parts of the back: These additional injuries to the spinal cord make her condition even more complicated and challenging to treat.
Torn artery in the neck: This tear caused a series of mini strokes, leading to trauma in the right side of her brain and the back part of her skull.
Paralysed diaphragm on the right side: This has severely affected her ability to breathe, so Grace now depends on a breathing tube, with no certainty if she will ever breathe on her own again.
Small tear in the main artery near the spine: This injury, along with some bleeding around the upper part of the main artery in her abdomen, adds to the serious risks she faces.
Many fractures and deep cuts: Grace has large cuts on her left elbow and right eyebrow, along with fractures in her cheekbone, jaw, nose, base of the skull, and other facial areas. These injuries alone would be overwhelming, but they’re just part of the damage she has suffered.
Severe liver injury: Grace’s liver has been badly damaged, making her recovery even more difficult.
Severely damaged lungs: Both of Grace’s lungs are bruised, torn and have subsequently both collapsed. This makes breathing very difficult and is a constant concern. Grace requires continual monitoring and suction from her lungs to eradicate infection and keep her airway clear.
Multiple fractures in her ribs and spine: Grace has several broken ribs and multiple fractures in her spine, including one in her lower back that has left her spine unstable, contributing to her paralysis and overall condition.
While this may seem like an extensive list, unfortunately for Grace, it doesn’t capture the full extent of her injuries. The complete list is even longer, too overwhelming to fully detail here. These injuries are not just medical facts; they represent the enormous physical, emotional, and psychological battles that Grace must now face every day. The list is sobering, painting a picture of the unimaginable trauma this young girl has endured.
Grace is a fighter, she has already shown incredible bravery with her recovery, but she still has a long journey ahead of her. Since the accident, we have been inundated with message of support and love for Grace. We have also received several messages from people asking if they can help in anyway and asking if they can donate to help Grace in her situation. People have set up fundraisers and we cannot express how grateful we are for the support.
We have set up this page so if anyone wants to make a donation to Grace that they have an easy method of doing so.
We would like to thank everyone for their support to date.
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Updates
51
- 14 days ago
James Thompson
14 days agoWhen we set out to raise money for Grace we couldn’t dream that we would raise this amount. The Tutt family want to thank each and every one of you; this money will help Grace more than you can ever imagine. Whether you donated £5, £100 or more, it is the sheer volume of donations that has allowed us to get to this figure. Fate decided that this was to take place but it is the human race that rallied around and put her faith back into life. Grace will live the best life and that’s because she has the best people around her. Thank you everyone❤️
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- 17 days ago
James Thompson
17 days agoToday marks the day that Grace has been 48 hours without the tracheostomy in! The world is a crazy place…7 months ago Grace was living her normal life, 6 months ago a terrible day that changed her life forever, we didn’t know if she would see another day. Ups and down over the next 5 months but today Grace fights on and has managed to overcome the most crazy, ridiculous odds and continues to amaze everyone. Grace you are a true inspiration and I know that you will live the best life. Please can everyone keep donating…we are nearly there ❤️❤️
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- 24 days ago
James Thompson
24 days agoAs we approach the incredible amount of £200,000 we celebrate Grace’s bday. The most courageous, beautiful 13 year old I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. And what a birthday it was, a trip to London Zoo. The message I got from Mel (Grace’s mum) was this “Grace was so happy. An awesome day. Weather was great. The place was quiet and we had good chats as we strolled round occasionally getting lost!” What a day it looked like. Family, friends and 3 of Grace’s nurses who volunteered for the whole day. Happy Birthday Grace we all love you ❤️❤️
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James Thompson started crowdfunding
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Supporters
4212
Anonymous
Dec 23, 2024
£20.00
Sue and John Blackmore
Dec 23, 2024
Grace you are an inspiration ✨️
£25.00
Pete and Mags
Dec 21, 2024
This year we're donating to help this marvellous girl and her family, instead of sending Christmas cards
£100.00
Holly
Dec 19, 2024
£20.00
Anonymous
Dec 18, 2024
£30.00
Renee Gall
Dec 17, 2024
Amazing young lady! X
£5.00
Tracey Hartley
Dec 17, 2024
£5.00
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What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered charity.
The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised.