Bring David Toms Home
Bring David Toms Home…
As many of you may be aware, at the end of August, David Toms was moved from his specialised state hospital in Toledo to a residence in Granada. Unfortunately, since the move, we have seen a massive deterioration in David, both physically and mentally.
The hospital in Toledo was the best facility in Spain, where he received daily treatment with an experienced physiotherapist, which helped him to increase movement day by day. He was also surrounded by like-minded patients, with whom he was able to converse in English, or at least ‘Spanglish This lifted his spirits and helped motivate him to keep fighting.
Elegant wedding photo by David TomsSadly, David’s stay in the residence in Granada (which is not a specialised hospital like the one in Toledo) seems to have caused him to take a massive step backwards. He has only been receiving about 15-20 minutes per day of physiotherapy, so in only seven weeks, David has lost all of the mobility and physical strength he achieved over the past 15 months. He is now most days struggling even to move his hand to operate his wheelchair. Having said this, we would like to reiterate that the residence in Granada is a “residence”, and not a hospital for people in David’s condition, and everyone there from the Director, to the supervisors, nurses, social workers, and all other staff have done their utmost to tend to David’s needs, for which we are very grateful.
David is not fluent in Spanish, and the little that he does speak, the staff at the residence has trouble understanding, but here again we must remember that he is in Spain. With the lack of views, gardens or outdoor grounds or greenery, David is spending a lot of time lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, without being able to communicate properly, except for the days when he has visitors. Not surprisingly, given the circumstances, David has entered a state of depression. This mental state has also lowered his immune system, meaning he is much more susceptible to viruses, infections and hospitalisation.
WHAT CAN WE DO NEXT?
We know this isn’t the news everyone was hoping for. However, if we all band together, we can once again turn this around for David. We have found a fantastic facility in the municipality of Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga, which is only about 15-20 minutes from the Coast. It offers 24/7 care with all staff and patients speaking English. He will have his own room with a view, be fed three times a day and have access to the vast grounds, which are 100 per cent wheelchair accessible. Most importantly, he will receive the best treatment from a team with a wealth of experience. The staff members offer various therapies and treatments aimed at accelerating the recovery process. David would receive daily physiotherapy, which is vital to getting him back to the same level of mobility that he worked so hard to achieve since the accident. He will then be able to focus on future improvement.
If we can get David moved to this centre as soon as possible, and please bear in mind his birthday is next Wednesday, he will be much closer to his friends and the community he loves. This is paramount to David’s mental and physical wellbeing. The beautiful grounds will mean he will be able to feel the fresh air on his face (something that means a lot to David), enjoy being surrounded by nature, and there is even a poolside bar where visitors can visit and have a drink and snack with David.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Currently there has been no concrete financial support from the state, apart from a minimal monthly amount for permanent disability, although the paperwork is currently in progress. This means we are relying almost solely on donations for David’s care on a month-to-month basis. David and his family could not be more grateful for the very generous donations that have been received via Go Fund Me – David Toms Spinal Injury Support, along with some direct donations.
Therefore, we are setting up a PayPal account, where you can opt to donate monthly each month. All contributions will go to supporting David. This would only have to be set up once, rather than having to put all your bank transfer details on the Support Fund Page for single donations, although of course this will also remain operational.
Please remember that every penny counts, and it doesn’t matter the size of the monthly (or periodic) donations, as everything helps to bring David home so he can be close to those who love him!
We are desperate to return David in time for his birthday next Wednesday.
TO SUPPORT DAVID PLEASE CLICK HERE’ http://www.fundmemonthly.com/fund/david-toms
DONATING YOUR TIME
We are also looking for support from anyone who has a van and is willing to help us transport specialist equipment for David to the new facility. Changes also need to be made to the bathroom so the shower can be made suitable for David’s needs. Any builders who could donate time or materials would be greatly appreciated.
‘Thank you to everyone who has recently been to see David or contributed in any way – too many to mention. If you wish to help us get David home then please contact us:
Man (or men!) with a van and builder(s): Scott@SunshineWeddings.com
+34 679 743 986
PayPal assistance: Scarlett Smits (scarlett@plush-media.com)
+34 656 187 346
Media Enquiries: Jackie Stone at Manifesto Design – (Jackie@manifestodesign.com)
+34 952 880 923
Donations for equipment: Lisa Franco – info@bellaweddingsinspain.com
+34 692 848 201
General enquiries: Sharon McAulay – sharonmcaulay@yahoo.ca
+34 607 664 404
Suggestions and offers for fundraising events: David Toms Support Fund on facebook.com
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the media, who have been crucial to keeping David in the public eye, and hope that they will continue to do so!