Category Archives: Events

This one made me well up. Thank you Kath. Dani is VERY fond of you too.

Events


Hi Russ

Danielle has been my lovely boss for nearly 14 years  and you and I met at Piers’ house many years ago.  I feel I have got to know you without ever seeing you from chatting with Danielle every day about your sporting antics and now through reading your blog.

I have been reading your blog right from the start and hoping and praying you would pull through.  In fact,  I was telling Danielle that I developed a rather annoying tapping wood ritual that I had to carry out every time I thought of you or Danielle (don’t worry, I am not really a nutter)!  This ritual saw me having to cross the room to find something wooden to tap on at the most inconvenient times – half asleep and drunk, talking to the headmaster of my son’s school …….  I wonder what other prayers or promises were offered up by other people on your behalf!

I have sometimes felt intrusive reading your blog when I don’t really know you but I have felt compelled to see how you are and have been 100 per cent rooting for you.  It’s been brilliant to see your incredible improvement over the last six months.  I don’t know why anyone would think you come across as arrogant.  Your determination and bravery are incredible and sharing your thoughts with people on the blog is courageous and trusting.  The lady who wrote those stupid comments should be ashamed.  

Andy, who worked in our office, died at the beginning of the year.  He would share his thoughts through emails to his friends and I always read them through tears, getting an insight into what he was dealing with and his courage.  I often do that with your blogs too.  As Andy became became increasingly frail, he became a giant of a man in my eyes.  His qualities as a man made him bigger than those around him. I have thought of this when you have written about feeling physically smaller.  You are bigger in my eyes for your strength of character and determination.  I am quite sure your lovely family and friends see you the same way.  You and Danielle are a formidable force!

I hope you have a brilliant holiday with your girls and enjoy the skiing.  I am sure I will be hearing all about your sporting antics again from Danielle because anyone who has come as far as you have is destined to carry on setting the world on fire.

With love

Kath x

A message.

Events
 
Have a great time in America 
Must be Magic… ! Prince Charles, Hollywood A listers, the Beckham’s …they all love Dynamo the Magician 
Look on YouTube !
Russ, yr positive comments this week are loved by all. They will feed your family with even more love to their Dad & husband and we all hope that you now fully are signed up to the Russ comeback comingfrom the darkside …keep coming 
Go to America with a smile, 6 months ago you died ……welcome back, stay with us and grab the future. 
The Teasdales
Xxx
I know its easy from our side of this pond Russ but all I/we/your friends say is true. Grab this chance Russ …Let the Force be with you !
Forget all the pressure, problems and worries…have a laugh in the US of A ! You and your family are in need of it. Make it their best Christmas ever ! 

And another email to me..

Events

Fuck Babs M!

Take things from wence they come – that person didn’t even leave their full or proper name … so you can’t possibly take that seriously.

Tony gets hit by awful comments from random bloggers – it is awful – but it is also untrue so how can you take it on board!   Stupid people!

It is because you are flying above the radar now – have lots of followers – there will always be a hater – don’t know why but there always will be, I suppose it is just a numbers game really.  

And just for the record there literally has not been one word that you have written that has come across arrogantly and I don’t know you that well.  Just saying!

Your physical healing will no doubt be faster than your emotional healing, and I honestly believe that the only way to conquer emotional pain is to go through it, you can’t avoid or skirt it – just go through it and feel however you do actually feel, being down is part of it – some people take a month to get through what other people take 5 years to – it’s all different.  Only you know!  The right people will support you.

Take care …  Happy Travelling.

Claire

An old friend found out yesterday ( because I told her, after she wished me a brilliant Xmas ). She sent this message :)

Events

Hi Russ

 

4 hours I spent reading your blog last night – I laughed, I cried and I couldn’t stop reading…  I’m still not done….! (great to see some of the old familiar faces in the photos – how do you all look so good still!?)

 

You are amazing and inspiring (but then, no surprises there, as you always have been) and WOW how your friends & family love you…  You have been dealt the most unfair and unforgiving cards in the pack and yet you are blessed…

 

My heart breaks for you and yet I know, of anyone I know, you’ll bounce back and exceed as you always do!

 

Merry Christmas you gorgeous man

 

Lots of love and warm sunshine sent to all of you from Bim

 

xxx

 

PS: They didn’t, per chance, find a toothbrush up your arse in the X-rays did they? 😉

The next few weeks…

Events

It’s 6 months today since I broke my back. 

Worst 6 months of my life? 
I think that’s a YES. 
The 6 months during which I’ve recieved the most love, kindness and dedication from my family and friends? 
An even bigger YES. 
I’m starting to turn a corner in my general mood, at least when I’m home. 
It doesn’t seem quite as bad now, there are genuinely happy periods when the ghost of my former life isn’t looking at me  as I round every corner, mocking me in my wheelchair. 
It’s nearly Xmas, and actually I think I’m going to enjoy it, as in for real. 
I’ve just wrapped, sitting in bed, about 15  stocking fillers for my girls. At last! I’ve done something useful for my family. It felt really good. My present wrapping skills haven’t got any worse. As Dani said, they started from a pretty low base…. Yes, thanks Dani. 🙂
On Tuesday I leave Stoke Mandeville for 13 days. We fly to New York on Wednesday, on the holiday booked a year ago, pre calamity. 
We spend 2 days in Manhattan, then go to Conneticut, to Alwyn’s, and from there to Okemo, a small ski resort in Vermont. 
Dani, the girls, and I will stay in a one level / no steps apartment  along with my Bro, Stuart and his wife, Mandy, plus Alwyn’s daughter, Chloe. 
Stu will be the resident muscle, and Mandy is a nurse. Along with Dani, ‘Team Russ’ will be an experienced unit. It’s a massive relief to me that Dani’s workload with me will be shared to a degree by the incredibly helpful Stu and Mandy. 
Alwyn will be just down the road, and has organised pretty much everything you can think of to make my stay easier. He’s going to drive me to the Adaptive Ski school on four afternoons to give disabled skiing a shot. 
Officially I’m 6 months early trying it, it’s way too soon after my crash. My balance is poor, and my head’s far from confident. However, I’m actually now starting to look forward to it ( 2 weeks ago I was shitting myself at the prospect ). What’s the worse that can happen? Well, I could re injure myself, spinally ( tho unlikely ) , I could hurt my arms and shoulders, and I could absolutely hate not being able to do it…… If that happens. 
I have to remember that it’ll be like learning to ski all over again, but without legs and trunk control. Obviously that’s NOT going to be easy..I’ll be strapped into a fibreglass Sit Ski and have to balance the bloody thing (as it speeds down a baby slope) at about 5 miles an hour…..feeling like 50 miles an hour. 
To those watching it’ll look simple, to me it’ll certainly not be.  
However it pans out, I’ve got to try to keep a smile on my face. I’ll have 2 instructors plus Alwyn ( who is also an ‘able bodied’  instructor ) to help me at this early stage. If it goes ok, they’ll take me off the 2 ski type device and try me on the (far harder to balance) monoski. We’ll see….
I’m sure there’ll be video of me eating snow on this http://melissaleach.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1 blog, coming up soon. 
My mum and Dad are there in Vermont too, and I know they’ll be so very helpful in whatever way they can be. 
In total there’ll be 15 of us, a good 5 of them strapping Welshmen. At last, a little respite for Dani’s overworked arms and shoulders ( tho to be fair, they’ve never looked better than they do now! )
On jan 2nd I come back to SM for another month or so 
After that I’m home. 
Can’t wait. 

I get some fantastic messages from some fabulous people. Here’s one of the many.

Events

Russ,

 

I just read your blog from yesterday. Mate you made me cry in the office. For what it’s worth I don’t think you do have to make a choice to be happy or sad. I think you’ll have good days and bad days. I guess it’s like when you lose someone you love. You never stop missing them, but you find a way of living without them. There is a song I really like. It’s called Simple Things by Paulo Nutini. If you haven’t listened to it, I think you’ll like it; now more than ever. Death decided not to take you that day on the side of a mountain and there is a reason why. So far you have educated those who have spent time with you since your accident to look a little more often into their souls. That’s a huge gift you have bestowed on us. I saw Amber at the carole concert. She had her normal bounce and was singing her head off next to Jazzy on the stage. I thought about how proud you would have been. I don’t think that would have been so happy if she wasn’t looking forward to giving her dad a hug on Christmas morning. Keep going mate, I know it must feel like climbing a hill every day, but the view you’ll have once you’ve reached the top will be a level of understanding that few ever achieve.

 

Take care,