A mum who woke up with a sore back then a week later was in hospital being treated for an abscess in her spinal column which left her paralysed is now set to climb Mount Snowdon in her wheelchair despite there being “few things (she) wants to do less” to raise money for a spinal cord charity. Jo Wright, 62, a retired IT worker, suffered a paralysing abscess in 2011, which caused her to lose mobility from the waist down and spent seven months recovering at a treatment centre.
Now paraplegic, Jo said it was time spent with Back Up, a spinal cord charity, that gave her back “her spark” and now she is tackling the highest mountain in Wales, with the help of a team of able-bodied volunteers, to raise money for the charity. Joined by a Ukrainian refugee who she is sponsoring and also has a spinal cord injury, Jo sets off on July 1 and estimates the climb will take seven to nine hours.
Jo, who lives in Basingstoke, Hampshire, with her husband, David, a 64-year-old retired civil servant, and has three children – Lizzie, 29, Sally, 26, and Tim, 24 – said: “It was kayaking and zip wiring with Back Up during my rehabilitation that helped me find my spark again. Before then, it was incredibly difficult to come to terms with being paralysed.
“I can think of few things I want to do less than go up Mount Snowdon in a wheelchair, but I’m doing it because I know from first-hand experience that organisations like this truly change lives for the better after a spinal cord injury, and I want to raise as much money for them as I can so they can continue their amazing work.” Jo said she had not experienced any health issues before September 2011, when she woke up one Monday morning with a sore back.
As the week progressed, her health deteriorated and, by the Friday, she could not walk and was rushed to hospital. Upon investigation, doctors discovered an abscess growing in Jo’s spinal column.
Jo said: “It was completely unexpected, I was fine one week and the next, I was in hospital. It was very rare because it was growing in my spinal column, but there isn’t much room in there so it damages your spinal cord.
Jo’s spinal cord was permanently damaged and, as she recovered from the abscess in hospital, she now faced adjusting to life as paraplegic. “I found it incredibly difficult,” she said.
“I went to hospital that day and little did I know, I wouldn’t be back home for another seven months. My kids were young and they were very scared, none of us knew what was going on. It made a huge impact on my family, a spinal cord injury doesn’t just affect the person with it, it affects everyone around them too. It was devastating.”
Transferred in November 2011 to the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre at Salisbury District Hospital, Jo learnt how to use a wheelchair. From there, she became involved with Back Up, a spinal cord injury charity.
She added: “Going to the treatment centre was terrifying, it felt like my first day at school, but everyone was so kind and really helped me to feel comfortable and confident using a wheelchair. Back Up were incredible too, I always say it was with them where the light turned back on.
“My kids say that when I came home after seven months of treatment and it was like they got their old mum back.” Adjustments were made to make Jo’s family home accessible for her wheelchair when she returned in March 2012.
In June 2012, Jo took part in a Back Up activity course and from there, she began helping the charity with fundraising. She said: “They got me doing activities like kayaking and zip wiring. It made me realise that I could lead a full life again.”
Jo is also hosting a Ukrainian family and specifically sought out someone with a spinal cord injury, as her home would be accessible for them. She said: “I have the perfect home for someone with a spinal cord injury so when we discussed taking in a family, we knew we wanted to help someone with a similar disability.
Svitlana Tryfonova, 56, is a former Paralympian and she will be joining Jo in Wales and completing her own climb up Mount Snowdon in her wheelchair. Jo added: “I help Back Up with fundraising, but I never imagined I would do something like climb a mountain.”
Terrified of heights, Jo admitted her upcoming feat, called The Push, will be tough physically and also mentally. With plans to climb Mount Snowdon, also known as Yr Wyddfa, on July 1, Jo will have a team of able-bodied volunteers to help push her to the top which she estimates will take seven to nine hours.
The mum-of-three hopes to raise £25,000 through the challenge. She said: “It’s completely out of my comfort zone as I hate being out of control, so having to trust 10 other people not let me fall will be very challenging, many of whom are from our corporate sponsors, Shoosmiths.
“It’s going to be a really tough day and I am utterly terrified but I am looking forward to it too and I’m sure it’ll be worth it.”
Abigail Lock, CEO of Back Up, said: “The Push is a one-of-a-kind challenge which will raise vital funds for our services.” This year I will be joining a team as we race to the top of Yr Wyddfa. I can’t wait to see the amazing effort everyone puts in while supporting our life-changing services. Embracing challenge and having fun are two of Back Up’s key values, and The Push truly brings them to life.”
For Jo’s fundraising page, visit: thepush.backuptrust.team/campaigns/Mission-Possible
