THE PUFFIN Magic Foundation is hosting its annual summer cocktail fundraiser on 11 July at Porchester Hall to raise money to support those with spinal cord injuries.
The Foundation was established in aid of James Gribble, an Australian who became quadriplegic after a freak accident whilst travelling in Africa, to raise awareness of and support those who have suffered spinal-cord injury.
Waiting to go Tiger fishing on the Zambezi River on a terribly hot day, James fainted whilst sitting on a stool, falling backward onto hard sand.
The result of this seemingly innocuous occurrence was catastrophic. The impact of the fall severely bruised his spinal cord and broke his C4 and C5 vertebrae, leaving James with voluntary movement only from his shoulders up.
Due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the location, it was 30 hours before James reached fully qualified medical care. This delay worsened his condition by causing fluid to collect in his lungs, leading to respiratory complications.
The goal of Puffin Magic Foundation, set up in 2008 following James’s accident, is to harness the personal efforts and financial contributions of people who desire to provide support to James and others.
To date, Puffin Magic has supported James with his ultimate dreams of walking again and regaining independence through assisting with rehabilitation, equipment, medical and other associated challenges of living with quadriplegia.
Puffin Magic has also provided equipment, contributed to research and delivered resource to other individuals and organisations in the field of spinal cord injury.
On 11 July the Foundation will be holding its 3rd London gala event to support both the Puffin Magic Foundation and Spinal Research UK, the leading research organisation in spinal-cord injury in the UK.
“I have been completely overwhelmed with Puffin Magic’s support over the years and am ridiculously excited about the 11th of July,” said James.
“Without events like these I could never have achieved so many of my rehabilitation goals nor returned to the physical activities I enjoy today.”
The event will be attended by James and his fiancée Sarah. Oristem, a company involved in stem cell research, will present on the future of these advances and relevance to spinal cord injuries.
A number of international rugby players both present and retired will attend, as they continue their support for spinal research and its relevance to rugby. These guests include Zinzan Brooke (NZ), Lewis Moody(England and Lions) and Geordan Murphy (Ireland and Lions).
Judging by success in previous years, it should be an incredibly memorable night for all involved and will include a cocktail reception, three course meal with an open bar and DJ until 1am. Great prizes will also be on auction.
Find out more about James Gribble and the Puffin Magic Foundation here:
The Puffin Magic Foundation Summer Cocktail Party will be held on Thursday, 11 July at Porchester Hall, Bayswater. To book your ticket, go to Sales.webticketmanager.com/puffin. Tickets start from £130.00 per person or £1300 per table of ten.
