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
47
- 14 days ago
James Thompson
14 days agoWe are drawing ever closer to that magical £200,000. I say it again £200,000! For everyone who has donated the Tutt family once again want to give their thanks. As that target gets closer who is going to be the person who tops it over to the target…a generous corporate donation could get it there in one kind swoop!! We are well over 4000 kind individuals now and we honestly can’t thank you enough, each and every single one of you. Grace’s life starts now thanks to you all ❤️❤️
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- 21 days ago
James Thompson
21 days agoYou forget the impact this has had on family. An unimaginable amount of stress and heartache has been imposed on the Tutt’s for the last 6 months. There is a saying, “Things are only sent to those that can deal with it” we have seen this first hand. An unbreakable bond has been on show from day 1. Today’s post is that of appreciation to the whole family for an amazing bunch of people who have pulled together. Andrew and Mel have gone weeks where they have only seen each other for minutes rather than days yet stand strong for Grace. Love wins ❤️
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- 25 days ago
James Thompson
25 days agoA special mention must go out to Georgina (one of Grace’s amazing friends) and her mum Sam who have just raised over £1,400 with a monumental walk from West Kingsdown all the way to King’s Hospital…what an effort. A massive thanks to both of them. Incredible people, completing an incredible challenge for an incredible girl. What a welcome to King’s as well…Grace’s smile! Once again, love wins, thank you so much ladies ❤️❤️
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James Thompson started crowdfunding
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Supporters
4167
Anonymous
Nov 23, 2024
Happy 13th Birthday. Shine your light Grace xxx
ORSA
Nov 22, 2024
All the best Grace, wishing you an early merry Christmas from the ORSA team x
£100.00
Sara and Joe Cerrell
Nov 22, 2024
£250.00
MetKent Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers
Nov 21, 2024
Best wishes to Grace and her family from the MetKent Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers
£500.00
M Devine
Nov 21, 2024
💕💕
£20.00
The Mole family
Nov 20, 2024
Sending our love to you all. Keep smiling Gracie Xx
£25.00
Anonymous
Nov 20, 2024
God bless.
£100.00
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