As you are aware, Old Suttonian Thomas Lazarides (2018 C) suffered a life-changing incident back in June. When diving into a swimming pool, he fractured his neck in two places and sustained a serious spinal cord injury. His friends saved his life, however, Tom faced the realistic possibility of being paralysed from the chest down.

Airlifted to an intensive care bed at King’s College Hospital in London, he could breathe only with the assistance of a ventilator. Whilst in hospital, things took a turn for the worse as he contracted rhabdomyolysis, which began to eat away at his muscles, and has slowed his recovery considerably. Tom is now able to breathe unaided and beginning to recover but has a very long, slow journey of rehabilitation ahead of him. Tom is an outstanding sportsman and a wonderful friend. Despite everything, he is determined to finish his degree. 

With knowledge of the costs involved in providing Tom with the physiotherapy and treatment needed for him to reach his full potential, his many friends have banded together to support the fundraising. However, aged just 20 years, Tom now faces the very real possibility of being discharged to a care home, with no realistic path to recovery on the NHS, and limited access to physiotherapy – there is no current recovery path for him. His friends and family are determined to help him get the best recovery possible.
Read the full story here – https://www.kentonline.co.uk/weald/news/i-am-incredibly-grateful-that-he-is-alive-235075/ 
The new campaign his friends have started is called ‘A Ton for Tom’, In which they are aiming to raise £100,000.  This is initially a three-stage process; the rehab hospital he needs costs £10,000 a week, followed by a therapy centre, which is £3,700 a week and finally physiotherapy at home. 

To find out more information, and to donate, click here – https://www.gofundme.com/f/Tom-Lazarides-Ton-4-Tom?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1