How your donations were spent

Thank you so very much. Your donations totalled an amazing  £2770  and we can't thank you enough. I am overwhemed and appreciate every single one of you; now my hard work to recover my hand and arm function begins..... This is how we used your donations:

 Following advice from Jon Graham of physiofunction  I orered a splint to stretch my fingers, which are curled and tight. The Saebostretch arrived about 3 weeks ago.
 I started using it for an hour a day and slowly increased my tolerance enough to be able to wear it overnight. It itches and by the morning, it is a huge relief to remove it, but it does seem to be working as my fingers are noticeably more relaxed. I can make a gripping movement but cannot release or straighten my fingers myself (yet).

 Initially I had aimed to use the more expensive electronic Bioness H200, but after assessing my tone and fingers again, the slightly cheaper mechanical Saeboflex was the option for me. This is a mechanical device that needs to be fitted to me. Physiofunction measured my arm and fingers.The kit looks a little like a giant meccano set.

My Saeboflex will arrive on Tuesday June 12th and will look similar to this:

I will need to use this for 45 minutes twice a day. I will concentrate on using the grasp movement i have to pick up a 4" diameter soft ball from one side then the springs will help my fingers release the ball on the other side. You will imagine just how riveting this is- especially doing it for 45 minutes twice a day!!! To aide my motivation, I will be joining some saebo group sessions. Nothing like a littlefriendly competition to encourage me to do better :).

Once again thank you as I would not be able to afford the device ir the sessions without your support.

BUT that isn't all. I wanted to give something back to the Royal Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital where ~I spent 3 months as an in-patient and over 15 months as an out patient. Talking to the staff, we felt that rather than buy one piece of equipment that could only be used by one patiernt at a time, small items of equipment were much needed: Items such as hand weights, pilates type straps, medicine balls with handles and pedals - where patients can simply sit and pedal, providing much needed exercise. I ordered 4 or 5 of each which means that several patients can benefit at any one time.

The boxes started to arrive, some were very heavy. opening the boxes was quite good fun.

We arranged to deliver the equipment to the hospital. Michaela came over  and she and my carer, Kelly, helped to carry the equipment to my car and to unload them at the hospital. Kelly took the photos.

The hospital staff also pass on their thanks and appreciation...

and that's not all: A similar amount will be donate to the Charity " Different Strokes" to cooincide with the launch of its new website later in June

Your donations have not only helped me but many other people too. THANK YOU AGAIN and most of all a HUGE THANK YOU TO MICHAELA  who had this mad rowing idea in the first place. 

Maybe I will try to regain my title next year.... maybe!

Meanwhile I have had an article published on my experience of the benefits system. First in the Spring Edition of Working Brief, the quarterly publication of the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion in April and on 30 May, an edited version published in the Society pages of the Guardian.

THANK YOU ALL

Jan and Michaela