Amputee-Adventures - Tom Wickerson

Kilimanjaro Trek
in aid of the Limbless Association

September
2010

Tom Wickerson

A while back someone mentioned to me an idea that he thought might be a bit of a challenge and asked me for my thoughts. Subsequent questioning revealed that this individual was actually serious and he asked me if I was interested in joining. Like my good colleague Andrew I did not hesitate one minute and said count me in. Over the next few months this idea blossomed and has now become a reality and as a result we will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2010 in the aid of the Limbless Association.

The Limbless Association works to help facilitate a better life (and are a valuable resource) for amputees. They provide support and advice to amputees and their families and provide a network from which they can exchange information and experiences. The funds generated by this challenge will go towards the development of the LA’s Professional and specialist amputee counselling service, dedicated complaints and advocacy service, Parliamentary and campaigns department, LA handbook and educational DVD, sports & fitness, education, training, sponsorships, scholarships and more.

When September 2010 comes around I will have just turned 40. The saying goes that ‘life begins at 40’ so what better way to start my new life than to climb Kilimanjaro? I qualified as a Prosthetist/Orthotist from Salford University in 1996 and started my career at Crystal Palace. A year later i was drafted to Roehampton where i have worked ever since and am now the Clinical lead in Prosthetics. During my time there i have been fortunate enough to work with some truly inspirational amputees and work alongside some of the most dedicated and experienced staff in amputee rehabilitation one could ever wish to meet. I quickly learnt that to get a result it’s all about the team-work.

All of the team involved in amputee rehabilitation are equally important. Each member is as crucial and has as much input as any other; all coming together to facilitate a common goal, and this also includes support and information provided by the LA. The central figure in the team is of course the patient, which is the LA’s focus. This ethos i feel will be reflected and very much evident in our party as well as in the attitude and approach that will be taken during our challenge. We are all going up for a common cause as well as for our own personal goals and team work will be integral and essential to everyone’s (and the team’s) success.

The aim of this mission is to raise as much money as possible for the Limbless Association through sponsorship. We hope to have a party of 25 people which include several amputees, prosthetists, physios and other AHP’s; each individual raising Ł4000 any way we can.

I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a worthwhile cause, so we’d all appreciate any donation you can afford.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.