Paul-Andre Blundell was paralysed from the chin down whereas enjoying rugby and died instantly simply 5 months later, aged 26
Paul-André Blundell was left paralysed from the chin down (Picture: Provided)
Actor Matthew Rhys is backing a brand new fund established to hold ahead the legacy of his childhood mate Paul-André Blundell, who died months after being left paralysed by a horror rugby deal with.
Blundell – lovingly often known as “PA” – performed for Wales at under-19 degree however was paralysed from the neck down while representing Keynsham towards Maidenhead in 2001. Regardless of exhibiting enchancment throughout rehabilitation, he handed away unexpectedly simply 5 months later, aged merely 26, after a blood clot developed in his lung.
His passing surprised Welsh rugby and left his household and associates heartbroken.
Amongst them was appearing sensation Rhys, who’s recognised for roles together with Kevin Walker in Brothers and Sisters and Philip Jennings in The Individuals, incomes him two Golden Globe Award nominations and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Rhys was raised alongside Blundell in Cardiff and revealed he has by no means forgotten the tragedy.
“Paul-André was my good pal since childhood,” stated Rhys, who serves as patron of the brand new P-A Blundell Legacy Fund.
“To see him paralysed through the rugby accident, completely dependent even months later, after which his demise from an embolism, was completely devastating.
“I am nonetheless eager to assist help the important work to supply remedies to revive respiratory, sensation and performance to learn others, like P-A, that suffer a high-level, life-changing spinal twine harm.”
Since 2002, Blundell’s mother and father Rob and Gerri, from Whitchurch in Cardiff, have campaigned tirelessly in his reminiscence.
By way of their charity, Belief PA, they’ve raised greater than £600,000 to help pioneering analysis and to make rugby safer.
Rhys and fellow Hollywood star Ioan Gruffudd have been big supporters of the initiative.
Their “EYES UP” Secure Play Rugby Marketing campaign, which inspired gamers – notably schoolboys – to guard themselves in tackles, was even adopted by World Rugby.
Matthew Rhys accepts the award for excellent lead actor in a drama collection for “The Individuals” on the seventieth Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, on the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photograph by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) (Picture: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Now they’ve joined forces with Spinal Analysis, the UK’s main charity working to restore and restore the spinal twine, to launch the P-A Blundell Legacy Fund.
The fund will help PhD studentships aimed toward discovering life-changing remedies for paralysis.
Gerri stated her son’s braveness after his harm had been inspirational.
“P-A’s braveness and optimism post-injury have been inspirational,” she stated.
“He had accepted the problem to progress positively and make the very best of his life and new paralysed circumstances.
“It has been fairly unimaginable the cash we’ve got been capable of increase in his identify to help analysis and we’re so happy that this work will proceed via the P-A Blundell Legacy Fund with Spinal Analysis.
“We’ve got real hope that the superb breakthroughs we are actually seeing will quickly result in life-changing remedies for individuals paralysed after a spinal twine harm.”
Recounting the tragic incident from years in the past, Blundell’s mom, Gerri, revealed: “The Maidenhead recreation was apparently a grudge match, which we did not know till afterwards. He got here out of the ruck, turned, and tried to match them for the ball. There was a little bit of a scuffle – he fell down and by no means got here again up once more.
“He put his head down [in the tackle], tumbled ahead, and simply fell like a rag doll. The match carried on for some time as most of the gamers did not discover how badly he was injured.”
Spinal Analysis chief government Louisa McGinn has lauded the Blundells’ resilience.
“Rob and Gerri are a really outstanding couple who’ve taken the worst tragedy {that a} father or mother can face and, of their son’s reminiscence, labored tirelessly during the last 23 years to attempt to make a distinction for others,” she stated.
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Paul-André was described by his mum as “a robust, charismatic man” who led a busy, lively life earlier than the deal with that modified every little thing. His story continues to encourage efforts to discover a remedy for paralysis.
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