Friends face fears to support injured man

FRIENDS, family and local businesses have come together to support a young man who broke his neck in September.
S43682H14 Tim Mirroman with Ottis the spider and Markus Nimmo, behindS43682H14 Tim Mirroman with Ottis the spider and Markus Nimmo, behind
S43682H14 Tim Mirroman with Ottis the spider and Markus Nimmo, behind

Shaun Thorpe, 23, from Shoreham is slowly recovering following the swimming pool accident.

Friends Markus Nimmo and Kelly Collins wanted to raise some money to help him and came up with the idea of the Face Your Fears for Thorpe fundraiser last Saturday.

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Markus explained: “It is quite genius. People had to face their phobia, which is nothing compared to what Shaun is having to face. Being sponsored for it will help and they might walk away feeling a bit braver.”

Stuart is currently in the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury, where he is likely to remain for nine months.

Markus said: “At the moment, he has lost the use of his legs.

“He was in Southampton General Hospital for a couple of weeks and he was in a coma for a week.

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“Now he is breathing on his own but he has no feeling from below his waist and can’t grip with his hands.

“They are working on rehabilitation and trying physiotherapy, so there is still hope. His attitude is amazing.”

He chose a Hallowe’en theme to make the fundraising event more fun but said there was a serious side to it as well.

“I wanted to make sure everybody left knowing CPR. Two friends who were with Shaun saved his life because they knew CPR.”

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In addition, 25 per cent of the funds raised will go to Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance, which took Shaun to hospital.

People faced their biggest fears, such as spiders, snakes and even tomatoes, live in front of the crowd at Pebbles on the Port, at Lady Bee Industrial Estate in Southwick.

Kelly said: “The day went amazingly well. More than £2,000 was raised to help with the much-needed rehabilitation for Shaun. Loads of people, loads of fun and loads raised.”

Markus, who is the brother of Shaun’s girlfriend, added: “It is amazing how everybody has come together in this, in a time of crisis.

“A lot of people are just reaching out. The Shoreham and Southwick community has acted as one.”

The money raised was double the target and Kelly said it had been ‘amazing’.

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