In the blink of an eye our world was turned upside down when our 22yr old son Ethan sustained a life changing injury during a shallow dive in Thailand. A dislocation at C4 crushed his spinal cord and he was instantly paralysed from the neck down.

Since the accident, the challenges have been immense - from navigating the immediate aftermath on a remote island to getting him back and securing appropriate care in the UK.

Currently, Ethan has a temporary place at a specialist rehab hospital, thanks to insurance cover, while he waits for an appropriate bed and rehabilitation via the NHS. Current funding will soon cease, and we face difficult decisions due to the massive NHS waiting list for spinal injury patients.

We realise we have set a huge target but this is probably our one chance to make a difference to Ethan’s ongoing quality of life. It will help fund the right ongoing rehabilitation and adaptations to our home for his return. Then there is the purchase of specialist equipment starting with a specialist wheelchair and maybe an exoskeleton arm with the ultimate aim of returning to work and allowing him to regain his independence. Beyond this there are some incredible technologies and treatments are available which are evolving all the time. We hope, together with your help we can explore these technologies & treatments so that Ethan can get back some of the life he was just beginning.

Ethan is the guy who, while still at school and working at Lidl, paid for a pensioner’s shopping when they became distressed after realising, they had no money at the checkout. We have always taught him that ‘what goes around comes around’ and the generosity we have been shown so far is testament to this.

Your support means the world to us. Thank you for joining us on this journey to make a difference in Ethan's life and those of others going through this all-to common and frightening ordeal.

All donations will be received by Aspire - a national spinal cord injury charity who will manage the fund. As a charity, Aspire will claim any Gift Aid on our behalf, meaning Gift Aid donations will go further in supporting Ethan. Aspire will receive a percentage of the total fund, allowing them to continue their vital services in supporting Ethan, and others.