Speech
by Julie James at the launch of the Dan James Trust for Spinal
Research
At the event Julie made the following speech below describing
the story of the first 30 hours after Dan's accident. I have never
seen a more emotionally charged audience and it was one of the
most moving experiences of my life.
Alan Buzza - Strategic Manager (Performance Sport), Loughborough
University
Introduction
I would
like to start by thanking everyone for coming and supporting us
this morning.
To Jonathan
Miall, the CEO of Spinal Research and Louise who does an amazing
job in pulling everything together as regards the London Marathon
and Sponsorship.
Brian
Moore, who probably has no idea quite how much his support means
to us all and how many tears were shed by those who read his wonderful
and moving article about Danny.
To Kathy
for her help and efforts in co-ordinating this event. Michelle
for designing the DJT Logo.
To Mark's
family for their love and support and who put in a huge effort
to raise money, initially for Dan, but which will now, we hope,
be used for the funding of the boards, it seems a fitting tribute
that the money raised by them is allocated to a cause that is
so important to us all!
To the
many friends who are here and those of you who we don't know but
have taken the time to come our thanks.
Finally
to my brother Mark, who in all honesty has been the driving force
behind the Marathon and the board, he has motivated us all when
we have felt it was perhaps all too much and his motivation has
come from his great love for his nephew.
There
is anywhere else in the World I would rather be than standing
here today and anyone else's child I would rather today be about,
than one of our own. It's not personal, it just goes back to the
"There but for the grace of God go I" and Iím
sure any parent in the room would share that sentiment and understand.
If I
can briefly explain our reason for wanting to produce and distribute
this board in Dan's memory. This comes from our own feelings of
helplessness and ignorance after Dan's accident, as our knowledge
of the complexities of Spinal Cord Injury grew and our realisation
that perhaps Dan's recovery and progress could have been better,
had his initial treatment been different. I would like to clarify
I am not referring to initial pitch side treatment or any of the
Clubís staff or personnel, but to Danís story thereafter,
which is what were are familiar with.
At the
moment you will see the concept of the board menu's text, which
I'm sure you will understand that for medical and legal reasons,
must be approved and will take some time to get absolutely correct.
We hope we can liaise with the RFU and Spinal Injury specialists
to enable us to properly portray the most vital and proven information
to display on the board. And whilst Dan's accident occurred during
a rugby training session and looks rugby orientated the board
will, we hope, be available in any place that hosts a discipline
which has an element of risk of a SCI occurring and not just rugby
clubs.
The
story of the accident:
On the
evening of March 12 2007, two years ago today, we received a call
to say Dan had had a knock at rugby. No instant panic, Dan was
a lively and aggressive young player who had often sustained knocks!
I asked if he was conscious and breathed a sigh of relief when
told he was. My next words were "It's not too serious then"
to which the response was a pause and answer of "I wouldn't
like to say."
This
was the first time panic set in, although none of us had any idea
of the seriousness of his accident. Dan was invincible; broken
bones, anything could be fixed.
He was
taken to an A+E Department of the nearest General Hospital via
ambulance. In the meantime we made our way there. When we arrived
the terror on Dan's face was apparent, he couldn't move or feel
his legs, but as his arms weren't immobilised he was frantically
moving them around, up and down and clasping and unclasping his
hands. He had full hand mobility at this point and I'm sure it
was human instinct for him to keep moving the bits of his body
that he still could. He should never have been allowed to do this.
Dan
had been given one X-Ray when he arrived he was transferred off
the spinal board and onto the X-Ray table and turned and held
on his side so an X-Ray could be taken from behind, his neck was
supported with a collar, blocks and tape while someone tried to
keep his head still. The X-Ray proved inconclusive and an hour
later this whole process was repeated and we were told these X-Rays
were also inconclusive.
Dan
was told that the knot in the back of his scrum cap was digging
into his head and ironically whilst his clothing had been cut
off him his head was lifted to remove his scrum cap despite the
fact Dan had a broken neck!!!
It was
then decided that Dan should be given a CT Scan, something which
doctors have since admitted would have been a more appropriate
early course of action. However, this would not take place until
the next morning as there was no one available. It was only following
some pleading by us that it was agreed that the radiographer should
be called.
We were
now several unnecessary movements of Dan, and several hours post
injury. The CT scan revealed Dan had dislocated C6 & C7 vertebrae
and that his spinal cord was kinked! This was the most harrowing
moment of our lives to that date.
Phone
calls were made to two nearby specialist hospitals who both said
they couldnít take Dan that night. It was arranged that
he would be transferred to one of them in the following morning.
Mark and I begged the doctor to phone Stoke Mandeville or Oswestry
as these were the only two Spinal Units we knew, we were told
that this would "complicate" matters. We later found
out that whilst there would not always be a place at one of these
units, that had a call been made that night a bed would have been
available for Dan.
Dan
was sedated and moved to a side ward and it was arranged that
we meet him at the next hospital at 8 am in the morning. Dan then
had his second transfer via ambulance. On arrival he realised
his hand function had disappeared.
It was
now decided he should have an emergency MRI scan. This took place
at 3.30 in the afternoon, he was the last patient of the day to
receive a scan. |
