Paul’s Story
At 21, Paul Davies was steeped in sport with a promising military career ahead of him. The newly-married young Lance Corporal in the Royal Welch Fusiliers excelled in athletics and boxing and loved rugby in particular.
But a devastating injury while representing his regiment in a match in 1984 left Paul paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. He was discharged from the army and told he would not play rugby again.
“I remember the accident well,” says Paul. “The ball was knocked long into touch from the kick-off and we had a scrum. I was a wing-forward at the time, and I went into the scrum. The next thing I knew, it collapsed on me. I was conscious through the whole thing. It dislocated my neck and crushed my spinal cords. It was like a guitar string twanging. I felt like my body was on the ground, prone, but my body was floating in the air.”
Paul was faced with a gruelling period of medical treatment and rehabilitation, not to mention the emotional strain of his life-changing injury. Discharged from the military with just his pension to fall back on, the future looked bleak.
“I was in the prime of my life, and a large part of that was the Army,” he recalls. “I had dreams I wanted to fulfil, career ambitions – they had gone. This all happened back in the day when there was no such thing as compensation for me, so it was a bit of a struggle.”
Paul’s local authority helped him find an adapted bungalow while the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust furnished his new home and went on to provide support with whatever he and his family needed – a support that is ongoing.
The Trust also helped Paul reconnect with sport, providing the wheelchair which led to his involvement with wheelchair rugby.
Paul managed the British wheelchair rugby team at the Sydney Games in 2000 an experience that culminated in the “lump in the throat moment” that saw him lead his players out into the Olympic stadium packed with 70,000 spectators.
“I can remember the opening ceremony, having thousands of people cheering and screaming,” he says. “Getting there, for me, was thanks to so many people, but particularly the WRCT.
“Their unstinting dedication to the welfare of each and every injured player is very reassuring. It’s almost like having a kindly big brother watching over you. The Trustees are always very approachable and willing to listen to any problem I may have. I know I can approach them not just for financial matters but any help or advice I need on life in general.
“I think people now see the person and not the chair, and that is down to the brilliant work of the small, dedicated team of supporters with the Trust. It is truly humbling how they have helped me throughout my life since the accident, I cannot explain enough how they have been a lifeline to me and others.”
Married with two sons, Paul has been a tireless fundraiser for the Trust. His dedication to charitable and sporting causes earned him the MBE in 2012.
Shaun’s Story
Shaun Parry Jones is one of the Trust’s longest-standing beneficiaries. In 1980 Shaun was playing for Llandovery College against Ampleforth in the quarter finals of the National Schoolboy Sevens at Rosslyn Park. He tackled an opponent and fell awkwardly. Shaun broke his neck and is now tetraplegic but he is still a big fan of the game.
“When something like this happens to you there is great trepidation about the future. How will you cope? What will you do? How on earth can you fund the care and equipment you need? Where will you live? Forty years ago disability was viewed quite differently. Would I work? I certainly didn’t expect to.
The support I received from the Trust from the outset was incredible. Trustees visited me in Stoke Mandeville hospital to assure me that I would not be forgotten and said that if there was anything I needed I was only to ask. The Trust has moved on. No longer do you have to ask, they ask you. One of the Trustees is appointed to keep an eye on your circumstances and make sure you are being catered for.
After hospital I went to university to study History of Art and Architecture. Art was something I enjoyed. I did not think to study a vocational degree as it was unlikely, in those days, to result in employment. Having got my degree I decided to set up my own art business. I was very proud to show one of the Trustees the gallery I had set up.
However, it was not practical to run a gallery from a wheelchair and after seven years I decided to change tack. I was going back to university to study law. I’m not sure it would have been possible without the support of the Trust. I got through and I had to move home in order to complete a training contract with a law firm. Again the Trustees helped.
The Trust has always been a willing supporter, not only from a financial point of view but also in a pastoral role. If ever you need to talk to someone, the Trustees are only a phone call away. Events are organised for injured players to get together which is an opportunity to catch up with the Trustees. Nothing is too much trouble.
Having an injury of this nature is scary, but life is less daunting when you know there is a safety net there to catch you should you get into difficulty. I am extremely grateful to the Trust for everything that it has done for me. Knowing the support is there should you need it is very comforting.