Motorcyclist eager to share his story to help others
When motorcyclist Lee Gargill broke his neck in an accident, he was keen to share his story on social media to help inspire others.
But he was the one being inspired when Andy and Marrianne from The Rooprai Trust (RST) started to follow his journey and sent him messages of support.
Lee had started doing home rehabilitation after spending nine months in a care home doing minimal physio. It was 19 months since the accident that changed his life when a break at C5/6 left him paralysed.
He said: “I wanted to share my spinal cord injury (SCI) story in the hope that it would help someone. I quickly found that there is a big SCI community on Instagram and I came across and was inspired by Marrianne’s story and her progress.
“RST started following my story and sending me messages of support. This gave me a real boost and as I got to know them, I could see how much support they give to others.
“A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. They have been there to answer my questions every time. There’s a real family vibe about RST.”
Lee joined the RST physio scholarship scheme that gave him the surprising opportunity to stand up for the first time since his accident.
“Not only was becoming part of the scholarship scheme an unexpected and humbling experience, but it introduced me to the amazing team at Prime Physio who had me standing in a frame for the first time in 18 months within a few minutes of rolling in the door.”
While the 2020 lockdown was difficult for so many people, those in Lee’s position found it particularly difficult, but the monotony was lifted by online fitness classes.
“RST invited me to join them in live lockdown Zoom exercise sessions aimed at tetraplegics with the fabulous Ella Beaumont. These not only broke the monotony of lockdown, but they also improved my balance and stamina.”
Lee has words of encouragement for anyone with a spinal cord injury. “Becoming involved with RST is one of the best, most positive things to happen to me since my injury. Seeing the things that Marrianne and the rest of Team RST have done is inspirational and I believe that inspiration is infectious. Join in, be inspired and inspire others.”
