A tetraplegic's case

I refer to Victoria Sciberras's story "Generous helper in need of help" (April 25). Twenty-five years ago I sustained a spinal-cord injury at the age of 14 due to a tragic diving accident which left me paralysed from the neck down and wheelchair-bound. Throughout these 25 years I "go about my life" leading an active life.

I am gainfully employed, socially well-integrated and highly active in promoting better quality of life for disabled persons. This does not come about as simple as it may sound.

With great family support, which Vicky is also blessed with, her quest to reintegrate into mainstream society can only be achieved by a solid rehabilitative programme at this early stage of her injury, which has left her paralysed from the waist down. I must point out how Vicky admirably appreciates that she has not lost use of her upper limbs. Indeed, Vicky, I as a tetraplegic (all four limbs affected), can tell you are lucky in your bad luck.

I was lucky enough to be sent abroad in the UK at an early stage after my injury.

Last year I was on the verge of losing my hard-earned active life and being rendered permanently bedridden due to pressure sore problems. I underwent plastic surgery at St Luke's Hospital, surgery itself was a success, however the pressure sore reoccurred due to a bad seating posture in my manual wheelchair and I was thus readmitted to St Luke's Hospital for further treatment.

I required a posture and seating assessment which is not available in Malta, but available at Stoke Mandeville Spinal Injures Centre, UK. Recommendations were hastily made by the consultant plastic surgeon for me to be sent to Stoke Mandeville but, unfortunately, my request was rejected by the local health authorities and, to add insult to injury, I also later learned that Brian Gardner, spinal injuries specialist from Stoke Mandeville Hospital, was not allowed to come to Malta last year by the local health authorities to review Maltese past spinal-cord injured patients and the newly injured patients.

An appeal was launched in The Times (July 29, 2002) and enough funding was raised from generous readers not only to purchase my required powerchair but also to privately go to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for the necessary assessment, thus reassuming my active life. Therefore, it is imperative that ties with Stoke Mandeville Hospital are restored by the local health authorities to give paralysed persons such as Vicky the hope of "resuming her independent life and continue with her mission productively" as rightly so.

I (as someone in the same boat) sincerely wish her all the very best for her future while giving her my full support. The philosophy I learned from Stoke Mandeville is that life does not stop after you are paralysed and that is what keeps me going.