My
BRIT 2012 mile blog; sharing encounters and memories from every county of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland throughout 2012
2012
BRIT miles with a spinal cord injury; the equivalent of 310 marathon distances
in 330 days to support young people post-trauma
Thanks
to everyone for supporting me on my toughest challenge
This
month’s BRIT 2012 mile walk is November in the West Midlands
On Day 289 (Tuesday 6th
November) of my BRIT 2012 mile walk I visited Princethorpe College http://www.princethorpe.co.uk/
in Rugby, Warwickshire.
The day was coordinated by one of our BRIT Mentors,
Matt Parsons. I met Matt in 2011 and he is an inspirational young man.
Matt was born with Brachial Plexus Injury in his left arm and was told he would
never play sport or a musical instrument.
A short introduction to Brachial Plexus Injury
 |
| Picture showing the location of the Brachial Plexus area |
The brachial plexus is a network of nerves
that conducts signals from the spinal cord, which is housed in the spinal canal of the vertebral column (or spine), to the shoulder,
arm
and hand.
These nerves originate in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth cervical
(C5-C8), and first thoracic (T1) spinal nerves, and innervate (supply an organ
or part of the body with nerves) the muscles and skin of the chest, shoulder,
arm and hand. Brachial plexus injuries, or lesions, are caused by damage to
those nerves.
 |
| Picture of the Spinal Cord explaining the C (cervical), T (thoracic), L (lumbar) and S (sacral) nerves and what they affect |
Brachial plexus injuries, or lesions, can occur as a result of shoulder
trauma, tumours, or inflammation. The rare Parsonage-Turner Syndrome causes brachial
plexus inflammation without obvious injury, but with nevertheless disabling
symptoms. In general, brachial plexus lesions can be classified as either traumatic or obstetric.
 |
| Introducing young people to the charities I support whose badges are on my walking staff |
Obstetrics is the name given to the medical specialty dealing with the care
of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy
(prenatal period), childbirth and the postnatal
period
Obstetric injuries may occur from mechanical injury involving shoulder dystocia during difficult childbirth. Traumatic injury may arise
from several causes. The brachial plexus may be injured by falls from a height
on to the side of the head and shoulder, whereby the nerves of the plexus are
violently stretched and the brachial plexus may also be injured by direct
violence or gunshot wounds, by violent traction on the arm, or by efforts at
reducing a dislocation of the shoulder joint.
 |
| On my BRIT walk at Princethorpe College |
Through determination and a great
deal of self-belief, Matt went on to play youth county cricket and become a
musician, recording and releasing his own music with his own record label. He
is a true believer that we can do anything if we put our mind to it. Matt is
now a teacher at Princethorpe College and I am so happy for Matt that he has
come so far in such a short space of time. He is selfless and has an abundance
of enthusiasm which he channels towards the young people at the College and to
those around him.
 |
| Walking with some younger students at Princethorpe College |
My welcome was fantastic. Over
900 students and staff greeted me at their Assembly and after my introduction
to BRIT and the walk, the questions posed to me were super and we had great
fun. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of the students who joined me on my BRIT
walk around their grounds and I am sincerely grateful to the Head Teacher,
staff and students for looking after me and hosting my walk. My special thanks
to Matt for making it happen and for his continued support as a BRIT Mentor.
 |
| With sixth form students at Princethorpe College after my BRIT walk |
I finished the day with 212 miles
to go.
With best wishes,
Phil