Stoke Mandeville spinal unit launches appeal on 80th anniversary

The National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital was founded in 1944

The country's oldest and largest spinal unit has launched a new appeal to celebrate its 80th anniversary.

The National Spinal Injuries Centre in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, wants to raise £80,000 in 80 days.

The unit was founded in 1944 by Prof Sir Ludwig Guttmann who pioneered the use of sport for rehabilitation.

Clinical director Dr Simon Shaw, said: "We want to use that money for innovation, research, therapy provision and technologies."

The hospital is also home to the only dedicated children's spinal cord injury ward in the country.

The National Spinal Injuries Centre is home to the only dedicated children's spinal cord injury ward in the country

Dr Shaw said: "We have a real history here of innovating and being on the frontier of spinal cord injury care.

"We'd love to see some new equipment and take our treatments further."

He said celebrating the centre's "amazing milestone" anniversary was important.

"It's our vision for the next 80 years to really strengthen and be on the forefront of spinal injury research and innovation," he added.

Dr Simon Shaw is hopeful the fundraiser will help with research and treatments

The majority of patients at the centre have what is known as an "acquired form of spinal injury", usually caused by road traffic accidents, sport injuries or infections.

Krzysztof Slosarczyk, spent four months in rehabilitation after he broke his neck while swimming in France 14 months ago.

He said: "This one unfortunate dive into the water resulted in my breaking my neck...

"It was a close call, I nearly drowned by my wife saved me life."

Krzysztof Slosarczyk compared his rehabilitation in Stoke Mandeville as a miracle

Mr Slosarczyk went to Stoke Mandeville two months after his injury for a rehabilitation program.

Despite realising "life was never going to be the same" he praised the medical team for restoring the use of parts of his body.

"When I left Stoke Mandeville I was able to return home on my own feet which is a miracle really," he said.

• Listen: Dad who broke his neck 'got his body back'

As well as establishing the spinal unit, Prof Guttmann also created the forerunner to the Paralympic Games.

Andrew McLaren, chief medical officer at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, explained it was during a "time nobody really knew how to care for people with spinal injuries".

He praised Prof Guttmann for setting clear standards of care which staff had to closely follow.

"It was that attention to detail that led to the success of looking after patients," he explained.